South Korea vs. Honduras: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympic Men's Soccer
Honduras notched a historic victory Saturday, defeating South Korea 1-0 to advance to the semifinals of the men's soccer tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
It's the first time Honduras has advanced to the semifinals in men's Olympic soccer. The country's previous best was a quarterfinal appearance at the 2012 Summer Games in London.
ESPN FC did a quick rundown of what Honduras has accomplished:
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South Korea played like the better side for much of the game but wasted several clear-cut opportunities to score and saw Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez make several excellent saves. Honduras showed plenty of speed and strength on the counter, with Alberth Elis' 60th-minute strike, which finished off a brilliant attacking run by Romell Quioto, proving to be the difference-maker.
For South Korea, the result was disappointing, as the team earned a bronze medal in London before topping Germany in the group stage in Brazil.
The South Koreans started the match brightly, linking up well in the final third and challenging Lopez early. Son Heung-min, who plays his club football for Tottenham Hotspur, made his presence felt from the start, bursting down the left wing on several occasions and getting into the box.
Honduras couldn't conjure the same kind of creativity as South Korea, instead mostly hoofing desperate long balls to forward Anthony Lozano or letting the athletic Elis try to come up with his own bit of magic on the counterattack.
South Korea's best chances came late in the half. Son lashed a strong free kick from just outside the box, forcing a diving save by Lopez. In the 45th minute, a deflected shot from Ryu Seung-woo required more heroics from Lopez, and moments later, he parried a Son laser from roughly 10 yards out.
Though South Korea looked like the better team, it had nothing to show for it on the scoresheet by halftime. SandalsForGoalposts didn't like the scoring prospects for either team after the first half:
Right out of the gate, South Korea got another great chance to start the second half when a slick reverse pass from Moon Chang-jin found Son open in the center of the box, only to see Lopez again deny him by pushing his curling effort wide of the goal.
The South Koreans remained on the front foot despite another missed opportunity but eventually paid for their wastefulness when Honduras struck first against the run of play at the hour mark.
Upon receiving the ball deep in his own half, Quioto charged forward, outracing several South Korean defenders on his way to the final third. He spotted Elis flying down the right side, and his fine through ball was matched by an excellent low shot by Elis that whizzed past South Korea goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun and into the back of the net.
Philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald noted Elis, now with two goals at the Olympics, was no stranger to scoring important goals for Honduras:
The goal emboldened Honduras, which did a better job of keeping possession while still showing plenty of danger on the counter. South Korea's frustrations became more apparent as the game wore on, with the most visible moment coming when Park Yong-woo shoved Honduras captain Bryan Acosta into the sideline signage and drew a yellow card.
SandalsForGoalposts criticized Son's corners late in the game:
South Korea squandered a few more chances, while on the other end of the pitch, Quioto proved to be dangerous with a couple of dashing solo efforts to get into the box and cause havoc. Three-plus minutes of extra time brought a frenzied final push from the South Koreans, but they failed to find the necessary equalizer.
Honduras will take on the winner of the Brazil-Colombia match in the semifinals, where it will likely again be the underdog.
However, the young squad has plenty of promise, with the defense shutting out a South Korean side that notched 12 goals in three group-stage contests. The counterattack is also in working order, with Elis and Quioto proving to be consistent threats.
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