Portugal misses chance to win all three group matches
Portugal has won its World Cup group despite a 2-1 loss to South Korea this afternoon.
Having already qualified for the World Cup knockout round thanks to wins against Ghana and Uruguay, Portugal rested some of its key players such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva in the final match of Group H.
The match could not have started better for Fernando Santos’ squad as Ricardo Horta gave Portugal the early lead with just five minutes on the clock.
South Korea’s equaliser came in a corner kick, with Kim Young-Gwon beating goalkeeper Diogo Costa after the ball bounced off Cristiano Ronaldo’s back.
Despite dominating ball possession for most of the match, Portugal seemed content to control the affairs without creating much in the way of scoring opportunities.
With Portugal doing little to seek its third win in three games, it was South Korea who took advantage of a quick counter strike in stoppage time led by Tottenham star Son Heung Min who assisted Hwan Hee-Chan for the winning goal which qualified South Korea for the last 16.
However, Ghana’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay ensured that Portugal maintained the top position in Group H, finishing with 6 points ahead of South Korea and Uruguay (4 points each) and Ghana (3 point).
Portugal is now waiting for this evening’s results from Group G – which includes Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia and Cameroon – to find out which team it will face in the next round.
