YOKOHAMA, Japan, 23 June — South Korea and Turkey triumphed yesterday to create the prospect of the unlikeliest final in World Cup history. Co-hosts South Korea kept their nerves in a penalty shootout against Spain while Turkey downed Senegal with a golden goal to complete a most baffling of semifinal lineups.
In Kwangju, South Korea, the home side overcame highly fancied Spain in the drama of a penalty shootout to move into a last-four encounter with three-time world champions Germany in Seoul on Tuesday.
Later in the day, Turkey shot down Senegal 1-0 with a 94th-minute golden goal by second-half substitute Ilhan Mansiz to come up against four-time world champions Brazil in Saitama, Japan, on Wednesday. Both nations were the longest of odds before the tournament began. Now in this World Cup of upsets, who would bet against them meeting in Yokohama in the final on June 30? Turkey’s coach Senol Gunes said: “This has been an exemplary World Cup. There has been a great impact of teams with less experience, like Turkey, like South Korea, like Senegal and like Japan.
“South Korea-Turkey in the final, why not?” The day’s two matches completed quarterfinals which were high on drama and tension but for the most part disappointingly low on quality.
All the thrills in Kwangju came after a lackluster goalless 90 minutes between South Korea and Spain. Spain hit the post and had what would have been the golden goal disallowed in the extra period before the game went to penalties.
South Korea goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae saved one spot-kick and captain Hong Myung-bo coolly converted the Asians’ fifth in a row as the Koreans enjoyed a 5-3 scoreline in the shootout to reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time.
Spain’s luckless figure was Joaquin whose penalty shot was saved after he had hesitated, leaving the heroics to the fourth-time World Cup player Hong.
“It was a tremendous achievement. It was a 50-50 game. We had a shaking defense at times but Spain also had problems. It was a very tense game,” said South Korea’s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink. “We got lucky with the penalties but we took them well.”
Spain — as at the 1994 World Cup when they were defeated by Belgium — again go home after losing a quarterfinal penalty shootout. The Spanish, who had themselves beaten Ireland on penalties in the previous round, have again failed to deliver on their promise and leave bemoaning bad luck and two disallowed goals. For Turkey, the hero in Osaka was substitute Mansiz who struck in the 4th minute of extra time to give Turkey a 1-0 golden goal victory over Senegal.
