World Cup draw-S Korea opponents
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| ▲ This EPA photo shows Group H teams, including South Korea, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup during the draw held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha on April 1, 2022. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this AFP photo, Son Heung-min of South Korea (L) tries to dribble past Majed Hassan of the United Arab Emirates during the Group A match in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai on March 29, 2022. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this EPA photo, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates after beating North Macedonia 2-0 in a European qualifying match for the FIFA World Cup at Estadio do Dragao in Porto, Portugal, on March 29, 2022. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this Reuters photo, Luis Suarez of Uruguay (C) scores on a bicycle kick against Chile during a South American qualifying match for the FIFA World Cup at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo in Santiago on March 29, 2022. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this Associated Press photo, Afena Gyan of Ghana (L) dribbles past Leon Balogun of Nigeria during an African World Cup qualifying match at Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria, on March 29, 2022. (Yonhap) |
World Cup draw-S Korea opponents
Tantalizing matches set for S. Korea at FIFA World Cup
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will be in for some tantalizing matchups, with no shortage of interesting backdrop, at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The draw for football's showpiece tournament was held Friday in Doha, the capital of the host country. South Korea have been paired with Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana in Group H.
The tournament kicks off on Nov. 21, but teams in Groups G and H will be the last to start their journey, with their first matches scheduled for Nov. 24.
South Korea avoided the likes of defending champion France and perennial contender Brazil, though there is no such thing as an easy group in the World Cup.
Group H will feature some marquee names. South Korea will be captained by Son Heung-min, the high-scoring forward for Tottenham Hotspur. Son is currently tied for second place in the Premier League's goal scoring race with 13. The 29-year-old will try to become only the second South Korean player, after former midfielder Park Ji-sung, to score in three straight World Cup tournaments.
Trailing Son by one goal in the Premiership is Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese star back with Manchester United for his second tour of duty. With five FIFA Ballon d'Or awards to his name, Ronaldo is widely considered one of the greatest players ever. He has captured numerous championships over his career, including five UEFA Champions League crowns, but a World Cup title has eluded him. The closest he came was in his World Cup debut in 2006, when Portugal lost to France on penalties in the semifinals.
Now 37, Ronaldo may not have another opportunity after this year's competition.
South Korean football fans hold a collective grudge against Ronaldo. In July 2019, Ronaldo and his then-Italian club, Juventus, visited Seoul for an exhibition match against K League All-Stars. A sellout crowd of some 65,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium who had gone to see Ronaldo went home angry and disappointed, as the biggest star in the house, the one that everyone had come to see, did not even get off the bench.
Angry fans sued the local match organizer for compensation and they received partial refunds for their tickets in separate court rulings in 2020 and 2021.
In another interesting backdrop, South Korea's head coach Paulo Bento, born in Portugal, will try to beat his home country in his World Cup coaching debut.
The two countries have only played each other once, in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup that South Korea co-hosted with Japan. South Korea prevailed 1-0 behind Park Ji-sung's goal, and Bento played the entire match as the central midfielder.
Portugal qualified by for this year's World Cup by beating Turkey and North Macedonia in the European qualifying playoffs.
Fans here do not exactly have fond memories of Uruguay, either.
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, South Korea reached the round of 16, the first time they had done that at an away World Cup. But the Taeguk Warriors lost to Uruguay 2-1, with Luis Suarez getting both of the goals for the winning side. South Korea wasted a handful of scoring opportunities in the loss, while Uruguay reached the semifinals, their best World Cup showing in 40 years.
Suarez is still going strong for Atletico Madrid in La Liga. He had 21 goals in 32 matches last season and is up to nine goals in 28 matches this season.
He has been a goal scorer everywhere he has played and should be handful for opposing defenders. He finished tied for second with eight goals during the South American World Cup qualification campaign.
Uruguay finished third in that competition, finishing well behind Brazil and Argentina and barely ahead of Ecuador. Uruguay scored 22 goals but also conceded 22 in 18 matches.
South Korea and Ghana will have their first World Cup clash this year. They have split their six head-to-head matches so far, with three wins and three losses apiece. Ghana claimed the most recent match, a 4-0 win in a friendly match in Miami on June 9, 2014.
It was South Korea's last friendly match prior to the World Cup in Brazil that year. After that demoralizing defeat to Ghana, South Korea got knocked out in the group stage at the World Cup with a draw against Russia and consecutive losses to Algeria and Belgium.
Ghana squeezed into the World Cup by edging out Nigeria on an away goal in their home-and-away battles in the African qualification.
Portugal are the highest-ranked team in Group H at No. 8, followed by Uruguay (No. 13), South Korea (No. 29) and Ghana (No. 60).
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