South Korea vs Ghana: South Korea tried to come back, but Ghana was able to stop them. This was Ghana’s first win at the 2022 World Cup.
In a thrilling second half, Paulo Bento’s team returned from being down two goals to tie the game. Then, Otto Addo’s team edged back in front and held on to win the game.
South Korea dominated the first half of the first 45 minutes. They surrounded Ghana and got seven corners, but they couldn’t make many clear chances.
And they paid for not taking advantage of their early dominance when, in the 24th minute, Jordan Ayew’s swung free kick was headed in by Mohammed Salisu. The goal stood after the VAR took a long look at Andre Ayew for a possible handball during all the chaos.
Ten minutes later, Ghana added a second goal when Mohammed Kudus headed in a great cross from Jordan Ayew. Kudus’s run into the box had not been stopped.
South Korea’s first real shot on goal came from 25 yards out after Ghana’s backline surrounded Son Heung-min. This left Kwon Chang-hoon free to shoot, but Lawrence Ati-Zigi tipped the ball up and over.
At the end of the first half, a corner from Jordan Ayew almost went all the way in at Kim Seung near the guy’s post, but he managed to get a glove on it and deflect it wide off of Thomas Partey’s shoulder.
In the second half, Paulo Bento moved Son closer to the striker Cho Gue-sung. Shortly after the restart, the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward tested Ati-Zigi with a diving header after a cross from left-back Kim Jin-Su.
And another change Bento made the difference when South Korea took a step back. Lee Kang-in, a substitute, stole the ball from Tariq Lamptey and crossed it to Cho, who headed it in after avoiding Salisu’s weak marking.
After a few minutes, Cho got his second chance. This time, he jumped above Gideon Mensah to meet Kim’s high ball from the byline and tie the game.
Even though South Korea worked hard, they fell behind again seven minutes after they tied the game. Inaki Williams cut off Mensah’s pass, but Kudus was there to sweep in at the back post.
Ati-Zigi had to move quickly to block Lee’s 25-yard free kick, and Salisu had to clear Kim’s shot off the line after the resulting corner.
In a move that was almost a copy of Ghana’s third goal, Son couldn’t control a low cross into the box, but the ball got to Kim again. This time, though, Kim’s shot went over the top.
Cho was trying to get a hat trick, and he almost got it when he shot for Ati near Zigi’s post in stoppage time, but the Ghana goalkeeper punched it wide.
South Korea tried everything they could to get a draw against Ghana, but they failed, and now their hopes of making it to the last 16 are in doubt.
1. South Korea (4-2-3-1)
GK: Kim Seung-Gyu – 4/10 – He had little control over his area and set up his box horribly before Ghana’s first goal. South Korea’s line was way too deep.
RB: Kim Moon-hwan (6/10): Helped out on the wing, but the Ayew brothers were too much for him until the second half.
CB: Kim Min-Jae (4/10): He started after getting hurt against Uruguay, but he looked slow, losing his runners and making odd decisions when he had the ball.
CB: Kim Young-Gwon, 4/10: Ghana’s bombing from the air has completely confused him.
LB: Kim Jin-Su – 8/10 – Powerfully moved up and down the left flank and had more freedom when Son moved to a more central position.
CM: Hwang In-beom (6/10): Had a great time battling Ghana’s strong midfield trio for possession, breaking up play and directing South Korea’s attacks.
CM: Jung Woo-young got a 5/10 because he worked hard as usual but did some things too quickly.
RM: Kwon Chang-hoon – 5/10 – Tested Ghana early on, but didn’t do well, so Lee took his place.
AM: Jeong Woo-yeong got a 4/10. He was close to Cho at the beginning of the game, but he almost fell behind.
Son Heung-min: 6/10. Ghana doubled and tripled up on him in the first half, but they couldn’t catch him when he got a free role in the second. But in stoppage time, they were once again completely buried.
CF: Cho Gue-sung, 9/10. That is a good performance for a centre-forward. Ghana didn’t know how to stop him once he started making good crosses.
Na Sang-ho (6/10) (46′ for Jeong)
Lee Kang-in (57th minute for Kwon) – 8/10
Hwang Ui-Jo (79th minute for Jung): 5/10
Kwon Kyung-won (for Kim in the 90th minute) – N/A
Manager: Paulo Bento – 6/10 – Made changes that helped South Korea get back into the game after a bad first half of the organisation. After the final whistle, he was expelled for arguing with Anthony Taylor.
Ghana (4-3-3)
GK: Lawrence Ati-Zigi got a 5/10 because he threw himself all over his goal and often failed to keep the ball out.
RB: Tariq Lamptey, 4/10: After a good first half, Brighton lost all control of the game after halftime.
CB: Daniel Amartey (5/10): He was sent off early for a rough foul off the ball. Most of the time, random.
CB: Mohammed Salisu – 6/10 – Wasn’t very good at defence, but he did score a goal, so…
LB: Gideon Mensah, 6/10: Like Lamptey, he let his standards slip a little after a great start.
Salis Abdul Samed, the centre midfielder, got a 7/10 for storming around the field and stopping play.
CM: Thomas Party got a 6/10 because he stopped the game and spread it in his area.
CM: Mohammed Kudus – 9/10 – The popularity of the Ajax midfielder keeps going up after he scored another impressive goal on a global stage.
RW: Jordan Ayew: 8 out of 10. His great throwing was a big part of why Ghana won the points.
CF: Inaki Williams got a 5/10 because he didn’t take charge or even control the ball, which led to Kudus’s second goal.
Andre Ayew gets a 6/10. He wasn’t as helpful as his brother, but he did a good job at least.
Kamaldeen Sulemana (for A. Ayew in the 79th minute): 5/10
Denis Odoi came in for Lamptey in the 79th minute.
SUB: Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (79′ for J. Ayew) – 6/10
SUB: Alexander Dijku (83′ for Kudus) – 5/10
SUB: Baba Rahman (88′ for Mensah) – N/A
Manager: Otto Addo, 6/10: When Ghana attacked, they were dangerous, but their defence needs work.
Mohammed Kudus was the best player in the game.
South Korea vs Ghana is a very exciting game.
