South Korea 6 Uzbekistan 0
When special event buses are running in Sydney, the event is usually one that attracts tens of thousands of fans. Alas, the first quarter final in Sydney, which was meant to involve the Matildas, was never going to attract a crowd to justify the major outlay of a free bus network across Sydney before and after the game, and music lovers at Qudos Arena for the Linkin Park concert would outnumber the crowd at this entertainment hub. The script may have been torn up by Joe Montemurro, but what we had at Stadium Australia was still the possibility of an entertaining game, Group A winners South Korea up against plucky minnows Uzbekistan, who qualified thanks to a sole victory over Bangladesh in Group B. The best we could hope for was a spirited performance from the Uzbeks, the likelihood was for a comfortable victory for the Koreans and a chance for the East Coast crowd to see Japan’s opposition in the must-see semi-final on Wednesday.
The Heartbeat of football health hub was well attended outside in the stadium precinct, the merchandise stall offered fans a final chance to get Uzbekistan-branded kit and accessories, and the Locker Room was a mix of concert-goers and casual football fans gearing up for their respective events. The Uzbekistan team was out first, throwing their mini footballs into the crowd but having to give it some welly as there were hardly any fans in. The South Korea fans followed soon after, doing much the same, but the sparse crowd was more interested in the pre-game routine when the players had left the field, the flags marched onto the field all furled up, unfurled and waved up and down in the same way as every game had been so far. The duh-dum heart beat music preceded the entrance of the players, the smoke-works burst with colour and smoke filled the air. This was like a well-worn pair of slippers, such was the familiarty, the South Korean anthem almost to the tune of the comedy terrace chant “What the f*cking hell was that?” and the Uzbekistan anthem following like the teary part of a Disney princess movie.
South Korea started well, shooting away from their bank of red shirts at the opposite end, the drum and the chants loud against the otherwise quiet stadium. Choe Yuri found space down the right, for South Korea and her cross was cut out but she was straight onto a through ball a minute later, controlling well before Uzbek goalkeeper Maftuna Jonimqulova saved, and from the rebound, Mun Eunju had the easiest chance but somehow lifted her shot well over the bar for an incredible miss. Kim Hyeri cut in from the right and fired in a shot that was headed over by Dilrabo Asadova for a corner, Jang Selgi lashed in a shot that Jonimqulova saved well at the near post. The goal was coming, and when Choe Yuri played a beautiful through ball for late call-up Son Hwa-Yeon, she shot on goal, the desperate dive of Asadova deflecting the ball and sending it looping into the net for 1-0. A cute celebration was straight from Singin’ in the Rain, the double click of the heels something new.
The Korean fans were in full voice now, the pressure was off, the chances kept coming, Mun Eunju at the far post from a flowing move and cross from the left unable to turn the ball home, and goalscorer Son Hwa-Yeon got her head to a superb cross from the right only for Jonimqulova to beat the ball away with incredible reactions. The pressure was intense and finally when the ball was half cleared to defender Ko Yoo Jin on the edge of the area, she took the initiative to curl a sensational shot over Jonimqulova for 2-0. Son Hwa-Yeon headed a delicious cross onto the bar and couldn’t believe it when Jonimqulova saved the rebound, Noh Jinyoung stooped low to get a header on goal that just went past the post. Uzbekistan were simply pinned in their own half, the only respite coming from stoppages, the physios coming on to give the players a rest from being shuffled around the park by their far superior opponents. When they did manage to get two consecutive passes to stick, there was no option for a third and it was tough viewing.
Asadova and the Australian assistant referee had a disagreement about the official being in the way of the throw-in, a completely pointless argument from the Uzbek player just to buy some more downtime. Jonimqulova made a fantastic save to keep the score at 2-0, palming the ball away in full flight and the Korean fans at the other end continued to bang their drum and make a din, the defiant Uzbekistan fans behind the technical areas at least giving it a go with their Uz-bek-i-stan chant. Korea were effectively playing four, sometimes five up front, a throw-back to football in the 1950s, and when the all whites of Uzbekistan cleared, there were only orange shirts. A word on the Korean colour scheme – I have been labelled as colour blind on occasion – but that kit is orange, right? On screen they were definitely red, but live and in person, this was a fluorescent Dutch orange. The South Korea fans were bouncing, every red shirt joining in with the chants, but they were silenced when Zarina Mamatkarimova raced onto a searching long ball, goalkeeper Ryu Jisu missed the ball completely as the crowd rose as one, but got away with it, a good chance spurned on the edge of the area with the goal untended. The moments before half time were scrappy, South Korea giving the ball away uncharacteristically, the odd fan shouting coo-ee in the sparsely populated stadium as the active fans took a moment of rest.
Son Hwa-Yeon had a great chance to increase in first half added time, Kim Hyeri crossing perfectly from the right, but the presence of Jonimqulova was enough to put her off and the shot was poked wide. That was the final action of the half, the players and officials heading down the tunnel after spending almost the whole 45 minutes in the Uzbeksitan half of the field. Despite the one-sided nature of the contest, the entertainment was high, and the cheers that rung around the stadium when Uzbekistan ventured over halfway told us that the majority of the crowd was rooting for the underdog. The South Korean band played at the front of the active area, before being drowned out by Shakira on the thumping PA system. The mood at half-time was party, plenty of lime and lemon Australia shirts showing that the support would have been here had the Matildas not decided to take the hard road via Perth.
Both teams went to the bench at half time, and Uzbekistan had the first chance, a free kick from the left floated in dangerously, but the attackers had sprung too soon, Ryu Jisu making a routine catch with the flag up. Umida Zoirova took a blow to the face that slowed up the game that was starting to get its flow back. The Uzbeks looked more capable, only the final ball letting them down, the crowd urging them on. It was hard not to feel sorry for the all-whites, their endeavour warming the neutral fans, but the lack of options in attack made it tough-going whenever they were in possession in the Korea half. The third goal came courtesy of a corner, well cleared by Jonimqulova, but Park Soo Jeong fired in a shot that deflected up off half-time substitute Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva and over Jonimqulova into the net. With thirty minutes still left to play and the Korean fans in full voice, this could get ugly, but Uzbekistan went on the attack and with the help of two fortunate deflections fashioned their first chance of the half, the cross dropping into the hands of Ryu Jisu though instead of to an Uzbek head.
Jang Selgi wowed the Korean fans, winning the ball off her defender to win a corner and from the set piece, Ji Soyun was teed up for a shot from distance, Jonimqulova doing well to smother the shot as the Korean fans tried to suck the ball into the goal. Uzbekistan were managing the time, trying to frustrate the Koreans, the result of the game now a foregone conclusion. South Korea walked in a fourth goal, Ji Soyun clinically dispatching a shot from just inside the area after glorious one-touch passing had unlocked the Uzbeksitan defence. The celebration was muted, this now becoming a procession. Uzbekistan continued to play with their heads held high despite the deficit, tackles went flying in as the game threatened to boil over unnecessarily, Leyla Oraniyazova booked for a crunching lunge out on the Korean left. The crowd was announced as 12,974, no disgrace, but in a stadium that holds six times that amount, that single missing goal that would have kept the Matildas in Sydney would have been stinging for the tournament organisers.
Lee Eunyoung had the ball in the net after an almighty scramble, the referee adjudging the ball kicked out of Jonimqulova’s hands before the ultimately simple finish from close range. The best move of the game came when Ji Soyun threaded a brilliant through ball to Kang Chaerim, whose effort was saved but the ball broke kindly for Lee Eunyoung and she steadied herself to finish easily for 5-0. There was a worry when Son Hwa-Yeon was down after twisting her knee in a clumsy challenge with Rukhshona Usarova and the Uzbekistan defender was at it again soon after, slicing down Lee Eunyoung in the area for a nailed-on penalty. Up stepped Jang Selgi to slam home the spot-kick, and the final whistle sounded as soon as play restarted.
The players went through the handshake process in the centre circle with the officials, and in a nice touch, the whole South Korea team went to shake hands with goalkeeper Maftuna Jonimqulova, who had kept the score at least somewhat respectable. This had been a thoroughly entertaining game, despite the score blowing out to 6-0, and the South Korea players went to their noisy active fans to join in the celebrations, eliciting pangs of jealousy from Matildas fans at the stadium who have been denied such interaction so far in the tournament. Bring on Wednesday night back at this venue when we could be in for one of the most exciting semi-finals in Asian Cup history. A big thank you to both teams tonight for giving us a spectacle, the show rolls on, see you back here tomorrow afternoon!
