Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Hee-chan scored one goal each at the Education City Stadium to see their team through to the knockout stages.
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South Korean fans probably had the best time at the 2022 FIFA World Cup this year as they beat an in-form Portugal side 2-1 to make it through to the round of 16 on Friday. Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Hee-chan scored one goal each at the Education City Stadium to see their team through to the knockout stages. South Korea’s qualification was dependent on the Uruguay vs Ghana match which ended 2-0 in the South Americans’ favour. Despite having the same number of points and goal difference, the Asian nation went through as they had scored more goals in the group stage of the competition.
World Cup debutante Ricardo Horta scored the opening goal of the match in the fifth minute to put Portugal ahead but Kim Young-gwon equalized a little over 20 minutes later to bring the Koreans right back into it. The match went back and forth for a while after that, with the Portuguese having the lion’s share of the possession. The two teams had the same number of shots and shots on target with 13 and six respectively.
The drama ensued in stoppage time as South Korea broke away on the counter from a Portugal corner i the first minute of stoppage time. Son Heung-min got the ball in his own half and ran almost the full length of the pitch before playing an inch-perfect pass to Hwang Hee-chan who did not make any mistake when faced with Diogo Costa.
The stadium erupted after the finish but Korean fans still had to wait for the result of the Ghana-Uruguay game. As news came that they had qualified, the South Korean team erupted with jubilation as it was their first time into the last 16 since 2010. Here is how Twitter reacted to their shocking yet inspirational victory.
