South Korea vs. Mexico: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympic Men's Soccer

Defending champions Mexico saw their bid to repeat as Olympic football champions come to an end on Wednesday as they were beaten 1-0 by South Korea and crashed out of the tournament.

El Tri pushed the Koreans back into their own half throughout the first half, but chances were rare, and the pattern continued after the break. Harsh fouls were more common then solid passing moves, but South Korea took the lead with their first real chance of the half through Kwon Chang-Hoon. Hirving Lozano was sent off in injury time.

The win sees South Korea qualify from Group C as group winners, while Germany pass Mexico in the standings following their win over Fiji. 

As shared by ESPN FC's Tom Marshall, El Tri made the bold decision to leave Lozano on the bench:

A win for either team would guarantee a first-place finish in the group and a meeting with Honduras in the knockout stages, while Germany were just two points back at the start of the match, setting up a tense night.

The high stakes became clear early on, as the opening stages of the match saw more fouls and tough duels than chances. Lee Chang-Mi had the first shot on goal, missing high and wide with a free-kick from long range.

Eraldo Peres/Associated Press

Erick Torres saw his shot blocked after a fine cross from Carlos Cisneros, and Marco Bueno couldn't beat goalkeeper Gu Sung-Jun, as Mexico took control of the ball early. Michael Perez was the next man to try his luck, but he couldn't keep his shot on target.

Son Heung-Min beautifully teed up Chang-Min, who really should have done better with his attempt, and SandalsForGoalposts noted the youngster struggled early on:

Cesar Montes went close after 26 minutes, connecting with a corner but sending his header over the goal of Sung-Jun, and Erick Gutierrez just couldn't beat his defender with a hard drive.

South Korea couldn't put together consistent attacking moves, and where El Tri were initially the aggressors, their opponents now started becoming more physical. Gutierrez and Torres tried to combine down the middle, but the latter was caught offside.

Mexico's pressure grew heavier as the half wore on, and Perez had a shot from outside the box blocked after 36 minutes. Meanwhile, Germany were up big over Fiji, and Marshall noted a draw would not suffice for El Tri:

But despite Mexico's persistent pressure, the team couldn't find a gap in the South Korean defence. The Asian side were happy to sit back and play out the first half, as counter opportunities were hardly available, and at half-time, the Group C leaders still held the advantage.

Many fans expected to see Lozano in the second half, but El Tri kept their star forward on the bench to start. South Korea again went into their defensive shell, looking to frustrate their opponents and wait for opportunities.

Eraldo Peres/Associated Press

Arturo Gonzalez had a shot blocked before head coach Raul Gutierrez had finally seen enough, sending the Pachuca man out after six minutes. Chan-Dong Lee also made his way on to the pitch for the Koreans.

Lozano made an immediate impact, though perhaps not how he would have wanted, as he barged into Lee Seul-Chan and sent the defender crashing on to the turf. The match was delayed for a lengthy injury treatment, and Seul-Chang avenged himself just a few minutes later, earning a yellow card for a harsh challenge.

Cisneros just missed the target with the free-kick before the South Koreans finally broke the deadlock thanks to a wonderful solo move from Hoon-Kwon. The forward took control of the ball after a failed free-kick and dribbled across the box, faking out several Mexican players before firing the ball past goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera and into the top corner.

Per Planet Futbol, Mexico's situation looked dire:

Torres tried to hit back immediately but fired a shot wide, and Lozano couldn't beat Korea's defensive wall with a drive of his own.

South Korea goalkeeper Sung-Yun was yellow-carded for time wasting, as the team used every trick in the book to kill the contest, and Perez nearly restored some hope for his side with a hard shot that just sailed over the crossbar.

Carlos Fierro also went close, firing a shot across the face of goal, and Cisneros' header ended up right in the hands of Sung-Jun. Fierro's ambitious overhead kick summed up Mexico's effort, as his attempt went well wide and South Korea easily held on for the win.

With time winding down, Lozano let his frustrations get the better of him, and he was sent off for a brainless foul.

Post-Match Reaction

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