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Hernandez rallies Mexico to win
South Korea falls 3-1 after losing Ha to red card
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 11:27 AM
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Hernandez gestures to the crowd after scoring the first of his two goals Doug Pensinger/Allsport |
LYON, France (CNN/SI)
-- FIFA's decision to change the rules on tackles from behind was designed
to provoke more scoring and protect the offensive player. Mexico provided
FIFA with the perfect demonstration tape on Saturday. Benefiting
from a man-advantage after a South
Korean player was given a red card for just such a tackle, Mexico came
back from a one-goal deficit to score three times in the second half for a
3-1 victory and its first World Cup match win in Europe. "The call
was a very harsh one," said Korean coach Cha Bum-kun, who played for South
Korea in the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico. "I doubt it was a veritable
red card, maybe a yellow. "Of course I told the players about the
new FIFA rule about tackling from behind. I was quite disgusted when Ha
went into the tackle. He should've been calmer in that situation."
Just two minutes after putting the South Koreans up 1-0 in the 28th minute,
when his 30-yard free kick deflected off the head of Mexico's Dulio Davino,
Ha Seok-ju has shown the red card by Austrian
referee Guenther Benko for a sliding tackle that toppled Ramon Ramirez near
midfield. Ha's ejection threw the South Korean side into disarray.
"Ha's red card was a psychological blow to the team," Cha said.
"After he went off, the players all felt rushed and pressured. It
unbalanced the entire team. "When the Mexicans scored, all I was
hoping for was a tie. At then end I was hoping for a 3-2 score at least.
The final score was lamentable." With a man advantage, Mexico made
two substitutes at halftime and instantly went on the attack. It took only
six minutes for one of the subs, Ricardo Pelaez, to find the back of the
net with a golden opportunity that came when Ramirez' corner kick banked
off the foot of Korean captain Yoo Sang-chul. Mexico kept the
pressure on, and it paid off with Luis Hernandez scoring the winner in the
75th and an insurance goal nine minutes later. The
tackle-from-behind rule had already been tested early in the match, before
Ha's red card. Lee Min-sung was given only a yellow after making hard,
backside contact on Cuauhtemoc Blanco's leg in the 20th minute, and two
Mexicans, Alberto Garcia Aspe and Jaime Ordiales, were also given yellows
for less vicious fouls. Mexico's win stumped South Korea's hopes for
its first-ever World Cup victory in five appearances in the tournament, and
renewed its own hope of advancing to the second round -- or even winning
the tournament. "We've come to this tournament with the hopes of
becoming champions," said Pelaez. "We are determined to win even though it
will be very difficult for us. "Those who come to the World Cup
without the intention of winning the tournament, should not come at all."
The victory offered a measure of vindication for Mexico, which had
come under criticism for its unimpressive results leading up to the World
Cup. After qualifying, the team fired coach Bora Milutinovic and replaced
him with Manuel Lapuente. Lapuente was off to Paris only moments
after the match to watch the Belgium-Netherlands
game, and get a good look at his other opponents in Group E. "This
is the first step and it was a solid first step," Lapuente said. "All the
boys were ready to play. They showed class and character."
Lineups South Korea: Kim Byung-ji; Kim Tae-young,
Hong Myung-bo, Lee Min-sung, Ko Jong-soo (Seo Jung-won, 72nd); Lee
Sang-yoon, Ha Seok-ju, Yoo Sang-chul, Kim Do-keun (Choi Sung-yong, 61st),
Noh Jung-yoon (Jang Hyung-seok, 55th); Kim Do-hoon. Mexico:
Jorge Campos; Pavel Pardo, Duilio Davino, Claudio Suarez, Braulio Luna
(Jesus Arellano, 45th); Jaime Ordiales (Ricardo Pelaez, 45th), Raul Rodrigo
Lara, Alberto Garcia Aspe (Marcelino Bernal, 72nd), Ramon Ramirez;
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Luis Hernandez. Referee: Guenther Benko,
Austria.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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