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Switzerland go to the top of their group with Korean win

Article Published: Friday 23 June 2006

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Switzerland topped their group as they beat South Korea 2 -0. Goals from Philippe Senderos and Alexandr Frei sealed a 2-0 win for Switzerland o in Hanover. The win also means that Kobi Kuhn’s side in Group G will miss Spain and will go on to play the Ukraine in the round of 16.

Switzerland swept into the last 16 of the World Cup at the expense of South Korea with a controversial 2-0 victory over the 2002 semi-finalists in Group G on Thursday.

Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos put Switzerland ahead in the first half before striker Alexander Frei killed the hopes of the Koreans with a hotly disputed goal in the 77th minute.

The Korean defence stopped after the assistant referee flagged Frei offside but the striker slid the ball home and was delighted when Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo allowed the goal to stand despite furious protests from the whole South Korean team.

The Swiss topped the group while South Korea were sent packing as France grabbed the runners-up spot thanks to a 2-0 win over Togo in Cologne.

Switzerland, who reached the second round in their last appearance in the World Cup finals 12 years ago, will play Ukraine with France taking on Spain.

Coach Dick Advocaat sprung a surprise by handing 20-year-old striker Park Chu-Young his World Cup debut.

The former Asian Youth Player of the Year was in the starting line-up ahead of hotshot Ahn Jung-Hwan, who scored the winner against Togo in the opening match.

South Korean goalkeeper and captain Lee Woon-Jae, one of the heroes in 2002, was making his 100th appearance for the national team.

Switzerland's influential midfielder Daniel Gygax was ruled out of the clash with badly bruised stomach muscles with Hakan Yakin, a second half substitute in the victory over Togo, on from the start.

Korea nearly caught Switzerland cold in the third minute with a sweeping move down the left. Lee Chun-Soo darted into the box but his low cross was just too strong for the onrushing Lee Ho.

The Swiss side were surging forward looking for an early goal and Tranquillo Barnetta had a goal-bound shot blocked by a desperate lunge from veteran defender Choi Jin-Cheul in the ninth minute.

Switzerland's pressure paid off in the 23rd minute when they went ahead from a set piece. Yakin fired in a left-footed free kick to the back post and Arsenal defender Senderos rose high to power a header past Lee.

Senderos clashed heads with Choi and blood started to stream down his face but the battling 21-year-old was too overjoyed at scoring his third international goal to feel any pain.

Korea had their brightest spell in the last five minutes of the half, Lee Chun-Soo seeing a snap effort stopped by Swiss 'keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler and Kim Jin-Kyu dragging the ball wide from six yards.

The Swiss then lost Senderos who was injured making a goalmouth clearance and had to go off in the 53rd minute.

Frei hung his head in anguish in the 63rd minute after his stinging shot came back into play off the left-hand post.

With France leading Togo 2-0 in the other Group G match, Advocaat went for broke by bringing on Ahn and winger Seol Ki-Hyeon but they failed to make an impression.

Korea Republic will feel a little hard done by as the second goal was a bit contentious. Korea never gave up and even though the 2nd goal was irregular Switzerland were the better side and the ref was technically correct.

Kuhn’s side finish on the summit of Group G with seven points, followed by France on five, Korea Republic on four and the Togo who will go home with only their bonuses.

Switzerland: Zuberbuhler, Spycher, Senderos (Djourou 53), Philipp Degen, Muller, Wicky (Behrami 88), Vogel, Yakin (Margairaz 70), Cabanas, Barnetta, Frei.
Subs Not Used: Benaglio, Coltorti, David Degen, Dzemaili, Grichting, Gygax, Lustrinelli, Magnin, Streller.

Booked: Senderos, Yakin, Wicky, Spycher, Djourou.

Goals: Senderos 23, Frei 77.

South Korea: Woon-Jae Lee, Young-Pyo Lee (Ahn 62), Choi, Jin-Kyu Kim, Dong-Jin Kim, Ho Lee, Nam-Il Kim, Ji-Sung Park, Chu-Young Park (Seol 65), Chun-Soo Lee, Jae-Jin Cho.
Subs Not Used: Baek, Won-hee Cho, Chung, Do-Heon Kim, Sang-Sik Kim, Yong-Dae Kim, Young-Kwang Kim, Eul-Yong Lee, Song.

Booked: Chu-Young Park, Jin-Kyu Kim, Choi, Chun-Soo Lee.

Att: 43,000

Ref: Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina).

Fifa man of the match: Alexander Frei




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