South Korea squeaks into round of 16, Nigeria goes home

DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — South Korea reached the second round of the World Cup on Tuesday by holding Nigeria to a 2-2 draw in a thrilling match.

Lee Jung-soo and Park Chu-young scored for South Korea after Kalu Uche had given Nigeria the lead in the 12th minute. Ayegbeni Yakubu netted a 69th-minute penalty kick to draw Nigeria level again – moments after Yakubu missed a wide open net.

Argentina won Group B by beating Greece 2-0 and South Korea reached the World Cup knockout stage away from home for the first time. The only other time South Korea got beyond the group stage was when the team surged to the semifinals in 2002 on home soil as tournament co-host with Japan.

Argentina plays Mexico on Sunday at Johannesburg, while South Korea plays Uruguay on Saturday at Port Elizabeth.

Nigeria was the second African team to fall out of the first World Cup held on the continent. Host South Africa was eliminated earlier Tuesday.

The Korean substitutes sprinted onto the field and hugged their teammates at the final whistle, then danced in front of a small group of flag-waving fans.

South Korea had slightly more of the possession in the first half, but it was Nigeria that took the lead in the 12th minute. Chidi Odiah beat two defenders on the right wing and sent in a low cross for Uche, who slipped in front of his defender, Cha Du-ri, to fire home from close range.

But amid the Nigerian pressure, defender Lee made it 1-1 in the 38th minute with his second goal of the tournament. Ki Sung-yong floated a free kick to the far post and Lee stooped to head the ball, missed it and stuck his right foot out to volley it past goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

Park made it 2-1 just four minutes after the break when he curled a free kick around the wall and into the far corner of Enyeama’s goal – one of the rare free kicks to produce a goal at this World Cup.

Five minutes later he nearly did it again, but his powerful free kick went just wide.

Yakubu missed a golden chance in the 66th, then made amends three minutes later, showing more composure in front of the goal by putting in a penalty kick after Kim Nam-il had fouled Chinedu Obasi.

Argentina beats Greece 2-0

POLOKWANE, South Africa (AP) — Martin Demichelis and Martin Palermo scored second-half goals Tuesday to help Argentina beat Greece 2-0 at the World Cup and earn first place in Group B.

One of the most impressive teams of the tournament, Argentina won all three of its group-stage games and will play Mexico on Sunday at Soccer City in Johannesburg. South Korea also advanced from the group, while Greece and Nigeria have been eliminated.

Demichelis scored from short range in the 77th minute after his header bounced off Diego Milito and back into his path. Palermo’s game in the 89th from a rebound after Greece goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas had saved a shot by Lionel Messi.

Just minutes earlier, Messi’s hard, left-footed shot hit the near post.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona made seven changes to the lineup that beat South Korea 4-1 five days earlier.

Captain Javier Mascherano and strikers Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain were all among those given the night off. That gave Messi the chance to wear the captain’s armband for the first time. Turning 23 on Thursday, he’s the youngest captain ever for the two-time world champions.

Midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron returned after missing the previous game with a right-calf injury.

Although their game was less fluent than in previous matches, Argentina dominated the match at 45,000-capacity Peter Mokaba Stadium, where their fans clearly outnumbered Greek supporters.

Argentina initially preferred to keep possession instead of pushing to create chances.

The first shot on goal came in the 18th minute when Sergio Aguero picked up a pass by Veron and dribbled past two Greece defenders before his left-foot shot forced Tzorvas into a diving save. A minute later, Tzorvas pushed the ball over the crossbar after a 30-yard attempt by Veron.

In the closing minutes of the first half, midfielder Maxi Rodriguez and Messi both saw their powerful shots blocked by the keeper.

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel had urged his players to produce the “match of their lives” to get a win against Argentina.

South Africa beats France 2-1, but eliminated

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) — Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela scored first-half goals to lead South Africa to a 2-1 World Cup win over a France team in turmoil. Despite the win Tuesday, Bafana Bafana became the first host nation to be eliminated in the group stage.

Khumalo scored in the 20th minute when he outjumped France midfielder Abou Diaby to knock a cross from Siphiwe Tshabalala into the net with his shoulder. Mphela doubled the lead 17 minutes later, outmuscling defender Gael Clichy to reach a low cross from Tsepo Masilela and knock the ball across the line.

Substitute Florent Malouda scored for France in the 70th.

Plagued by internal strife, the 2006 runner-up was forced to play with 10 men after Yoann Gourcuff was ejected for elbowing Macbeth Sibaya in the 25th minute.

The French also were eliminated from the tournament, while Uruguay and Mexico advanced from Group A.

After playing with a lone striker in its first two matches, South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira opted to put two men up front against France – Bernard Parker and Mphela – and it paid off.

“I’m so proud for the boys. The way our boys played from the very beginning,” Parreira said. “They made this country proud. They proved that they made a good progression.”

French soccer has been a mess ever since sports daily L’Equipe printed details of striker Nicolas Anelka’s expletive-filled rant at coach Raymond Domenech during halftime of last Thursday’s 2-0 loss to Mexico.

The French soccer federation sent Anelka home Saturday and the French players protested by refusing to practice the following day. Footage of the players refusing to come out of the team bus was beamed back to a shocked nation.

Not even a dressing down by French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot on the eve of the match could inspire Les Bleus. Bachelot called an emergency meeting Monday to tell the players they had let the country down and had one last chance to redeem themselves.

“It’s your kids, our children, for whom perhaps you will no longer be heroes,” said Bachelot, who told reporters she left the players in tears. “It is the dreams of your partners, your friends, your fans that you have perhaps broken. You have tarnished the image of France.”

In the stands, one fan flew a French flag with the word “shame” emblazoned on it.

Mphela gave the France defense fits, with strong runs and dangerous drives from distance. He nearly scored his second goal in the 43rd with a right-footed drive from 25 yards that forced a diving save from Hugo Lloris. Then his right-footed shot hit the crossbar five minutes later.

South Africa’s attacking style brought the crowd at Free State Stadium to life, and the home fans roared with each Bafana Bafana foray into the French half.

“I really thought we could pull through,” Khumalo said.

Facing a 2-0 halftime deficit, France coach Raymond Domenech brought on Florent Malouda at the half and striker Thierry Henry 10 minutes later to try to boost his team’s flagging attack.

The changes had little impact, until Ribbery collected a through ball deep on the right flank and crossed to Malouda in the middle to finish.

South Africa is the first host nation not to advance to the second round in 80 years of World Cup play.

While fans were bound to be disappointed, Bafana Bafana entered the tournament ranked 31st among the 32 teams and acquitted itself well. An emotional tie with Mexico to open the tournament gave way to a deflating 3-0 loss to Uruguay, followed by Tuesday’s victory over a team ranked ninth in the world.

“My main feeling is pride,” Parreira said. “We knew this group was going to be a very difficult group.”

Uruguay downs Mexico 1-0 to win Group A

RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP) — Maybe Uruguay is the best example of how strong South American nations have been in the first round of the World Cup.

The last team to qualify for the tournament, Uruguay needed to beat Costa Rica in a playoff to get to South Africa. The Uruguayans have looked like anything but an outsider, though, and on Tuesday beat Mexico 1-0 to win Group A.

“We knew we had two results that benefited us,” said Luis Suarez, who scored the only goal. “But before the match our goal was to get the three points and be group leaders

“Luckily we reached out first goal, which was to advance from the first round.”

The Mexicans still advanced to the knockout round at the expense of host South Africa. Uruguay, which did not yield a goal in the first three matches, and Mexico will face the survivors from Group B, to be decided Tuesday night.

South Africa and France did not advance after the hosts beat the French 2-1. Mexico beat out the hosts on goal differential (plus-1 to minus-2).

Uruguay ended the group phase with seven points after overpowering South Africa 3-0 and drawing 0-0 with France.

South American teams have won nine of their 11 matches thus far.

Mexico earned four points, but a better goal differential than South Africa (plus-1 to minus-2). It has advanced in every World Cup it qualified for since failing to get out of the first round in 1978.

Suarez scored the winner in the 43rd minute after running unmarked to the back post and heading in Edinson Cavani’s brilliant cross for his first goal of the tournament.

The two countries went into the last group game sharing the lead at four points and needed only a draw to advance. But both fielded attacking lineups. Even so, the game yielded few clear scoring chances.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said he was “bothered” by talk before the game that the two teams might play for a draw.

“It’s an insult to the coaches and players. Both teams came out looking for something,” Tabarez said.

Uruguay is a two-time winner of the World Cup, but those came in 1930 and 1950. It has not been a championship contender in recent tournaments and last advanced in 1990 in Italy.

This squad could be different. It has scoring power in Suarez and Diego Forlan, and its defense was unbeatable in the opening round.

“The important thing is that we qualified in first place,” Forlan said. “They controlled the ball well and in truth it was quite hard for us.”

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre preserved an attacking lineup that helped his team beat France 2-0 in its last game. Veteran striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco, at 37 the oldest field player at the tournament, replaced the injured Carlos Vela.

But the Mexicans never found the net. Its best chance came in the 22nd minute when Andres Guardado, in for suspended midfielder Efrain Juarez, fired a left-footed shot from 30 yards that bounced off the underside of the crossbar.

“It leaves a bitter taste,” Mexican midfielder Rafael Marquez said of the outcome. “We’re all unhappy with this result and with today’s performance. We’ll have to improve now.”

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