S Korea-World Cup
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| ▲ Hwang Ui-jo of South Korea (L) celebrates his goal against Turkmenistan during the teams' Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on June 5, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Nam Tae-hee of South Korea celebrates his goal against Turkmenistan during the teams' Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on June 5, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Kwon Chang-hoon of South Korea (C) battles for the ball against Turkmenistan during the teams' Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on June 5, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Son Heung-min of South Korea (C) dribbles the ball against Turkmenistan during the teams' Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on June 5, 2021. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-World Cup
S. Korea trounce Turkmenistan 5-0 in World Cup qualifying match
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 5 (Yonhap) -- Forward Hwang Ui-jo grabbed a brace, and three different players chipped in a goal each, as South Korea handily beat Turkmenistan 5-0 in a World Cup qualifying match on Saturday.
South Korea stayed at the top of Group H in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, following their dominant victory at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul.
South Korea have 10 points with two wins and two draws. Lebanon also have 10 points but trail South Korea in goal difference, plus-15 to plus-5.
South Korea have scored 15 goals and have not yet conceded any. They will next play Sri Lanka at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by Lebanon at 3 p.m. on June 13, both at Goyang.
Ranked 39th, South Korea predictably dominated the run of play against the 130th-ranked Turkmenistan. South Korean players practically lived in the Turkmenistan zone in the first half, peppering the beleaguered goalkeeper Rasul Charyyev with shot after quality shot.
It only took nine minutes for South Korea to break the ice, as Hwang headed home a perfectly placed cross from Hong Chul.
Only heroic efforts by Charyyev kept the score respectable in the first half. In the 19th, Son Heung-min set up winger Lee Jae-sung for a chance that Charyyev turned aside. Seven minutes later, Kwon Chang-hoon's header rang off the right post.
Son himself was denied in the 31st minute. On the ensuing sequence, Nam Tae-hee tried to complete a tic-tac-toe play but couldn't convert from point-blank range. Hwang's shot off a rebound was deflected out of play.
In the 39th, Hong's curling free kick from outside the box was punched out by the diving Charyyev.
South Korea kept pushing for the second goal. In the 44th, Kwon had a one-on-one opportunity after a Turkmen turnover but Charyyev once again was up to the task.
The Turkmen goalkeeper finally broke in injury time, with Nam pouncing on a rebound for a 2-0 lead after Charyyev made the initial save on Kwon.
South Korea kept the pedal to the metal in the second half. Hwang had a couple of glorious opportunities in the opening moments, first getting turned aside by Charyyev and then airmailing a shot on a fast break.
Kwon tried to join the party in the 51st minute, when his volley, set up by Nam, went off a defender's leg and over the crossbar.
Defender Kim Young-gwon got South Korea's third goal about a dozen minutes into the second half. After Jung Woo-young headed down a corner kick, Kim made no mistake from the goalmouth.
Kwon made it 4-0 when he scored off a juicy rebound following a Son Heung-min free kick in the 62nd minute.
Kwon then played the role of a setup man in the 72nd minute, crossing for Hwang for a backheel goal that put South Korea ahead 5-0.
The second round play had been on hold since November 2019. It was scheduled to resume in March 2020 but all matches for that year were wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To reduce traveling and minimize infection risks, South Korea will serve as the centralized venue for all remaining Group H matches. North Korea, who had played five matches in the group, withdrew from the competition last month, citing COVID-19 concerns. All of North Korea's previous matches have been voided.
From the second round, the eight group winners and the four-best runners-up will reach the third round.
South Korea have played at every World Cup since 1986.
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