This past Tuesday evening we went to the Seoul World Cup Stadium to watch the South Korea vs. Qatar World Cup 2014 Qualifier. The game finished 2-1 to South Korea, the winning goal come from SS in the 96th min (6th minute of injury time). The win was much needed and eases the pressure on the national team and leaves them 2nd in the qualifying group.
Opinion / Summary
Firstly it was pretty chilly and busy, however it was well staffed and we got there with plenty of time to spare. Tickets were prices higher than the KLeague but lower than a normal game in England, the cheapest tickets (ours) cost W20,000 each. The GS mart at the stadium was pretty busy, but we got our beer well before the game.
The section was busy but not crazy full, many people seemed to move to other parts were they could have a little more space.
After the national anthems the game started, it was played at a pretty good pace but sadly the two teams seem to cancel each other out a little. South Korea had a number of good half chances and dominated possession.
A half time show was performed by KPOP girl group 4Minute, which also featured a white tiger mascot.
The second half saw South Korea increase the pressure and it paid off, as after 60minutes Sangju Sangmu Striker Lee Keun-Ho‘s looping header when over the keeper and in. Sadly the excitement among the 37,000 fans was short lived as Qatar’s first real shot on target flew into the bottom corner, goal scored by Khalfan Ibrahim and made it 1-1. After that Korea looked like they might have to settle for a point, however a moment of luck and fortune in the 96th minute made Hamburg Striker Son Heung-min an instant hero. Many people missed the goal, it wasn’t pretty but the atmosphere was amazing.
Whenever you go to a game, never leave early as you never know what might happen.
Photos
Honestly we were sit pretty high up and so the pictures aren’t great, but are not bad:
Video
Here are the highlights of the game including all of the goals:
Finally
South Korea’s next home World Cup 2014 Qualifier is on June 11th vs. Uzbekistan and is followed a week later by the visit of Iran on June 18th, kick off times and location are TBC. If you have any questions or comment please let us know.
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