Uruguay vs South Korea summary: Uruguay hit the post twice, score, goals, highlights 0-0 | Qatar World Cup 2022
Uruguay vs South Korea: Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H live!
Full-time: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea
Absolutely nothing to separate the teams and you get the feeling that if they'd played until next week they might not have scored. South Korea just about had the better of the first half and were more controlled in possession throughout the game, with Hwang Ui-jo missing the clearest chance created in open play. Uruguay, who relied more on direct play and counterattacks, weren't especially impressive in the first 45 minutes but carried slightly more of a threat in the final third, with Diego Godín heading their best chance off the post.
The Uruguayans had more control of the game in the second half but huffed and puffed as they looked for the breakthrough against a superbly-drilled South Korean side. There was very little space for the likes of Luis Suárez, Darwin Núñez and (later) Edinson Cavani to work in and as a result, Diego Alonso's team created next to nothing. Fede Valverde came closest to scoring with one of his characteristic blockbuster from distance, which came crashing off the post. South Korea didn't offer much of a threat other than a couple of efforts from the edge of the box that were dragged wide.
At the end of the 90 minutes, neither goalkeeper had a save to make. That tells the whole story.
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AS USA has live-text coverage of the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium, where kick-off is at 10am ET.
Record breakers: part 2
Just to finish on a high...
As D:Ream once said - things can only get better.
Upcoming games in Group H
Here are the game scheduled for Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H (surely they'll be better than this one...):
24 November (11am ET) - Portugal vs Ghana
28 November (8am ET) - South Korea vs Ghana
28 November (2pm ET) - Portugal vs Uruguay
2 December (10am ET) - Ghana vs Uruguay
2 December (10am ET) - South Korea vs Portugal
Record breakers...
When you're covering a game, it probably feels better than it actually is. I feel as if this might have been one of these games...
Uruguay's attacking struggles
I don't think it'd be too controversial to say that none of these three were in the reckoning for player of the match. Credit must go to South Korea for a fine defensive performance but Luis Suárez in particular looked off the pace in that first half. Will Edinson Cavani start ahead of him in Uruguay's next game against Portugal on Monday?
Diego Godín: player of the match
Our friends over at SofaScore have named Uruguay defender Diego Godín as their player of the match. Happy with that?
If not, who was yours?
That's controversial. Varela nicks the ball onto Nuñez, who was racing into the box, but is adjudged to have fouled Kim Jin-su in the process.
Even more bizarrely, South Korea coach Paulo Bento gets shown a yellow card even though the free-kick went in favour of his side.
Negative. De La Cruz's corner plucked out of the air by Kim Seng-gyu.
A corner for Uruguay! Could this be it...??
Seven minutes to be added in total, by the way.
Valverde goes in on Son Jun-ho, wins the ball and punches the air as it goes out for a throw. I'd never seen that before but that's twice now in a matter of days after Denmark vs Tunisia.
Up the other end, Rochet plays a loose ball out from the back and Son Heung-min works his way into a shooting position. He gets a decent strike on it but drags it wide. Maybe there could still be a winner?
What a strike from Valverde! The Real Madrid man has added that to his game this season and out of nowehere smashes a fierce drive off the outside of the post. The closest we've come in this half, by far!
Jo Gue-sung clatters Giménez as they challenge for a high ball. Yellow.
Bentancur curls cross in and Cavani gets on the end of it but his header sails harmlessly wide.
Sorry folks, but I just can't see where a goal is going to come from.Uruguay having most of the ball but going nowhere.
Uruguayan are just lacking that bit of quality on the ball. Núñez has the chance to work the ball through to Bentancur in the box but overhits it and it goes out for a goal kick. The midfielder was in a great position there.
That's the closest we've come in the second half. Cavani works it out to Núñez on the left-hand side of the area, he cuts inside and shoots wide, although Cavani almost got a vital touch on it in the box.
Two more Uruguay changes
Nicolás De La Cruz and Matias Viña are on for Matias Vecino and Mathias Oliveiro.
A lof of Mat(h)iases in there.
Sub Jo Gue-sung almost makes an immediate impact! He takes the ball down facing goal and gets a shot away but it flies fairly harmlessly wide.
A flicker of danger from Son Heung-min as he fires a low ball across goal, Bentancur is in the right position to whisk it away though.
Triple change for South Korea
Jo Gue-sung, Lee Kang-in and Son Jun-ho on, off go Hwang Ui-jo, Na Sang-ho and Lee Jae-sung.
Uruguay are turning the screw but there's very little space between the South Korea midfield and defence. Paulo Bento has his team really well organised at the back.
There we have it. Cavani has been more of a threat in just four minutes than Suárez had been in 64. Valverde feeds a nice ball into the striker's feet, he takes a great touch and unleashes a shot which is well blocked by the South Korean defence.
Jung Woo-young heads a ball out for a throw and it smacks off Uruguay coach Diego Alonso's face. He tried to play it cool but there were a few hairs out of a place at the end of it.
Kim Min-jae, who slipped in that incident with Núñez, is hobbling a bit, it looked as if he went over on his ankle. He'll try and run it off though.
Cavani on, Suárez off
Suárez is indeed the man who is replaced. Cavani isn't a bad replacement...
Godín sets Núñez away down the left and the attacker breezes past Kim Min-jae, who slips, and into the box. His cutback is blocked by goalkeeper Kim Seng-gyu at the near post, with only Suárez in the box.
Cavani time
Edinson Cavani is stripped and ready for action. It'll surely be Suárez going off, he's barely had a kick.
Cáceres make a hugely important headed clearance there a few yards from his own goal as a cross comes into the box from the right looking for Kim Jin-su. The left-back isn't shy, he's been in the box plenty so far.
Cáceres goes in the book for a challenge on Son Heung-min, who needs a bit of treatment but is OK to continue. Phew (says all of South Korea).
Bentancur again at the heart of the action! The ball sits up nicely for him on the edge of the box and he gets a good connection on it but Kim Min-jae makes an important block.
Bentancur in the thick of things. Does he push Kim Jin-su in the back as a corner comes into the box? No, according to referee Turpin.
Seconds later, the Spurs midfielder then pulls off a beautiful roulette to work his way out of trouble. Manager Diego Alonso would've killed him if he'd lost if there though.
Crucial last-ditch tackle from Giménez! South Korea piece together a lovely move and Son Heung-min thinks he's worked his way into a shooting position in the box but Giménez sticks out a leg to nick the ball away from him at the vital moment.
A couple of no-nonsense tackles in quick succession on the edge of the box from the Uruguayan defence which is, of course, exactly what you'd expect from them.
Pellistri looked as if he was about to break into the box on the right but Kim Jin-su nipped in ahead of him really quickly to put out the fire.
We're back underway again! Let's have a few goals, chicos and...how do you say 'lads' in South Korean?
Giménez long balls
José Giménez's long diagonal passes from central defence have been a feature of Uruguay's play in the second half. Pellistri and Valverde have almost had a clear sight of goal thanks to them. Something to look out for in the second half.
Half-time: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea
A topsy-turvy first-half. South Korea started by far the better of the two teams and looked much more composed in possession in the opening 15-20 minutes. Uruguay came back into things in the middle part of the half thanks to more direct, physical play but Paulo Bento's team once againregained the ascendency before half time.
Uruguay have shaded it in terms of chances, with Godín heading off the post and a couple of other dangerous attacks petering out due to poor decision-making. South Korea have only had one opportunity but it was a clear-cut one, Hwang Ui-jo firing over from close range when he really should've found the net.
Another headed chance, this time for Giménez, but the ball was behind him and it was almost impossible for the defender to get it on target from there.
Godín hits the post!
Nothing fancy about this effort, a corner from Valverde and a brilliant header from Godín but it comes back off the post and is cleared away to safety.
Uruguay have had their moments on the break and that was another one there. Valverde sets Pellistri away and his square ball is intercepted just before it reaches Suárez, who was going to pull the trigger.
Luis Suárez is obviously Uruguay's biggest name but he's not been in this game at all so far.
Hwang In-Beom makes sure I'm paying attention with an ambitious strike from long range which didn't go far over but was never going in.
A bit of a lull in play in the last few minutes. Very little to report.
HUGE chance for South Korea! Kim Moon-hwan drills a low cross into the middle of the box and finds Hwang Ui-jo all alone in front of goal. He's got so much time and space but whacks it over the bar first time.
Leaning back, that's how not to do it, kids.
Another cross from Kim Jin-su, who's getting some joy down the left. Bentancur gets it away from inside the six yard box.
Space and time for Kim Jin-su to whip a cross into the box. He's looking for Na Sang-ho at the far past but it's just too high and it drifts out for a throw.
What a waste! Uruguay break at speed through Oliviera, he's got Núñez ahead of him to his left and just needs to play a simple pass to set the striker up for a shot on goal. But Oliviera's pass is far too heavy and Kim Seng-gyu intercepts.
A first glimpse of what Son Heung-min can do! He latches onto a long ball, bamboozles Cáceres and Valverde and fires a dangerous ball into the box which is blocked out for a throw-in. Promising signs for South Korea.
There's been a definite change in the pattern of the game in the last five minutes or so. Uruguay have come right back into this.
Another chance for Uruguay! Another raking ball from Giménez, this time for Pellistri, who heads across goal. Núñez can't connect and Suárez makes a total mess of it after Oliveria sends it back across goal.
Fede Valverde is the man of the moment in LaLiga and he always broke the deadlock! Giménez played a superb ball over the top of the South Korea defence, Valverde's control and lob was deflected just over. Referee Turpin thinks that's a goal kick though. It wasn't.
Left-back Kim Jin-su gets away down the left and slings in a cross which swings just behind the goal line before Rochet palms it over. Uruguay are going to have to track the runners here.
Excellent pressing from Jung Woo-young just when it looked as if Pellistri was going to build-up a head of steam. South Korea haven't given Uruguay a second's peace so far.
Out of nowhere, Uruguay almost create the first chance of the game. Oliveira clips the ball into the box into the run of Vecino, who gets a poor contact on it and doesn't seriously trouble Kim Seng-gyu.
Love you, Son
This is how much South Korea loves Son Heung-min.
Uruguay have been massively on the back foot so far. Núñez tries to get them up the field with a direct run down the wing but the ball's back in the Uruguayan half soon after.
...which leads to nothing.
Na Sang-ho really got the South Korean fans off their seats there with a break into the box from the right flank, nutmeg on Oliveira included. Another corner...
Darwin Núñez has very much started on the left side of the Uruguay attack. Luis Suárez through the middle, as expected.
South Korea looking very tidy on the ball in midfield in the early stages. Uruguay struggling to get out of their half.
An energetic start from both sides. An early corner for South Korea, Son Heung-min's delivery is eventually gathered by Rochet.
And away we go!
National anthems: South Korea
A nice strings number from South Korea. I feel as if there have been a lot of trumpets so far. Definitely less noisy but still good numbers of South Koreans in attendance, by the looks of it.
National anthems: Uruguay
Uruguay anthem up first. That's a long intro...Judging by the noise, there are A LOT of Uruguayans in the stands.
Just over 5 minutes until kickoff!
The stage is set, the teams are making their way out of the tunnel.
Here we go!
Who's today's referee and, more importantly, how much additional time will he add on today?
Champions League and Ligue 1 fans will recognise Clément Turpin.
Here's more on him from Paul.
A new look for Son Heung-min
A new-look for Son Heung-min as he continues his recovery from a facial injury. Although he's supposed to be fit to play, the injury couldn't have come at a worse time for South Korea coach Paulo Bento. His team have won just two of their last 12 matches and their attacking players, Son apart, have been woefully out of form of late. Maybe the World Cup can spur them on to better things?
Lively build-up
Without knowing exactly how many Uruguayans and South Koreans have made the trip to Qatar, I'm expecting a fair bit of noise from the stands for this one.
It's today!
Yes, Edinson, it is today.
In 21 minutes, to be precise!
10 World Cups in a row for South Korea
South Korea only qualified for one of the first 12 World Cups (in 1954) but have since gone on to feature in every edition since 1986 - this is their tenth in a row.
They have failed to get past the group stages in seven of their nine previous appearances but memorably finished fourth when they joint-hosted the tournament with Japan in 2002, when they defeated Italy and Spain along the way.
Last World Cup appearances for Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Godín?
Given that both Suárez and Cavani will turn 36 at the start of next year and Godín will soon be 37, this will surely be their last appearances on the biggest stage of all. Three players who have been at the very top level of the game for as long as I can remember. Have they got it in them for one last tournament?
Uruguay: soccer's biggest overachievers?
Even if we forget about the fact that Uruguay actually won the World Cup in 1930 and 1950, when soccer was a vastly different sport, they must still be in with a shout for the title of soccer's biggest overachievers. There are less than 3.5 million Uruguayans on the planet. For context, there are almost 10 million people living in the South Korean capital of Seoul.
Yet, Uruguay made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010 and the quarter-finals in 2018. How far can they go this time? They're got fairly under the radar up until now but have a really interesting blend of (relative) youth and experience.
Thirtysomethings Martín Cáceres, Diego Godín, Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez are now supported by exciting younger talents such as Ronald Araújo, Rodrigo Bentancur and Fede Valverde, who have been around for a while but are now beginning to reach their peak. Add into the mix Liverpool striker Darwin Nuñez, who has netted nine times in 18 matches for the Reds since making a $102 million move to Anfield, and they have the ingredients to spring a surprise.
If you’re looking for a place where you can watch Uruguay vs South Korea, then look no further! Here’s all the info you need.
Just make sure you keep this page open too….
Uruguay starting XI
And here's how Uruguay will start the game:
Rochet; Cáceres, Godín, Giménez, Oliveira; Valverde, Vecino, Bentancur; Pellistri, Suárez, Núñez.
A 4-3-3 for Diego Alonso's side.
South Korea starting XI
South Korea are first to go with their starting XI!
And thankfully for me, they've also written it using the Latin alphabet.
Kim Seng-gyu; Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Jin-su; Hwang In-Beom, Jung Woo-young; Na Sang-ho, Lee Jae-sung, Son Heung-min; Hwang Ui-jo
There will be a lot of copying and pasting go on today I feel...
Uruguay looking sharp
Uruguay are in the house! And they're looking sharp, I must say.
So...time to get down to business! Uruguay vs South Korea...who've you got?
Uruguay are favourites to win this one but will it be straightforward? I have my doubts.
Here's Fidel with some odds if you fancy a flutter, or just some general info if you don't. He's been brave enough to make a prediction...let's see how that works out.
While we're on the topic of others game, by the way, be sure to check out AS USA’s World Cup special.
Every group, every team and every coach is profiled, we’ve picked a key player for each team and you’ve got the schedule for all of the group stages.
Oh, and it looks great too!
Today's other games
A bit more housekeeping...
In today's other matches, Switzerland are currently a goal up on Cameroon with just under 10 minutes (or normal time) to play. That's in Group G.
Also in Group G, we have Brazil vs Serbia, kickoff at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
And today's other Group H clash is Portugal vs Ghana, which starts at 11am / 8am ET.
Relentless stuff, isn't it?
Uruguay vs South Korea at Education City Stadium
Uruguay vs South Korea will be played at the colourfully-named Education City Stadium, which has a capacity of 44,667. How many of those seats will be filled today, I wonder? Looks nice, though.
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Before we delve into this game in too much detail, a bit of housekeeping.
If you're looking for all the latest news from the Qatar 2022 World Cup, head on over here for a little summary of everything that's been going on. A nice way to start the day.
Uruguay vs South Korea: kickoff at 8am ET / 5am PT
Hello and thanks for joining me (Roddy) for live coverage of Thursday’s opening Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H clash between Uruguay and South Korea in Al Rayyan. These two will fight it out for a place in the knockout stages with Portugal and Ghana, who face off later on today.
The game kicks off at 4pm local time in Qatar, that’s 8am ET / 5am PT. Hope you’re up early for this one!
Uruguay vs South Korea: Thursday, 24 November 2022
- Uruguay and South Korea get their Qatar World Cup 2022 campaigns underway in Group H at 8am ET / 5am PT.
- Uruguay have gone somewhat under the radar this year after being dark horses in previous tournaments. Can Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez go out with a bang?
- South Korea are boosted by the availability of captain and star man Son Heung-min, who will be their main attacking threat despite fracturing an eye socket a couple of weeks ago.