URUGUAY, KOREA PLAY OUT DREARY DRAW

Doha: Of all the Asian teams in the fray in Qatar, South Korea looked to be best suited to pull of an opening game win.

- Siddharth.Saxena

 Would a win over Uruguay count as an upset, one is not sure there, but the Asian side failed to emulate Saudi Arabia and Japan who caused the big upsets at the World Cup. Even Australia, the fourth Asian team did its bit, opening the scoring against the mighty defending champions France, but the Uruguayans wouldn’t allow the Koreans, led by Son Heung-min, almost like a vigilante in his Zorro-like mask to protect his eye injury, that early privilege.

Despite being the better, more organised side, coached by the former Portuguese international Paulo Bento, the Koreans, you could say, played into the hands of the South Americans who revel in these scrappy, uninspiring draws, forcing the issue till the last minute of the final group game. Bento’s 98th minute booking on the Korean sideline, the last action of the game minute, probably summed up the frustration and overall ennui that prevailed.