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South Korea 2 Japan 1, April 1st 1998 Published: April 02, 1998
March 31st 1998 - Seoul. South Korea defeated their close rivals Japan 2-1 on a wet night in Seoul. Hawang Sun-hong slid the ball under the advancing Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi from close range in the 73rd minute for the winner. Whereas most of the games between these two nations contain a lot of passing and movement this was much more direct as both teams had to contend with the wet conditions. The ball was hit long and control was difficult and it was easy for both sets of defenders to close down the strikers and protect their goal. It was not until the 41st minute that the home side got a sight of goal when Lee Song-yoon controlled a cross and hit the ball into the net off the post to set the Koreans on the way to their first win against the Japanese in three matches. Japan started the better side in the second half with midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata getting more involved and it was hios pass that set up Masashi Nakayama for the equaliser in the 62nd minute. Part of the problems these two sies had in the match can be put down to the frequency with which they play each other
as this was their fourth match in six months and they know all about each other and so had few surprises on an easier
night for defenders than the conditions at the start of the game suggested.
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