Saturday, May 2, 1998 Published at 18:46 GMT 19:46 UK

Results and Reports

South Korea 2 Japan 1 (April 1)

South Korea prepared for France 98 with a 2-1 win over Japan at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul following two consecutive defeats against their neighbours and fierce rivals.

The Koreans took a lead into the interval when Lee Sang-yoon scored in the 40th minute with a diving header from Kim Doh-keun's pass.

Masashi Nakayama slid in to equalise for Japan after 61 minutes.

But Hwang Sun-hong, back in the South Korean side after injury, somersaulted in the air to score the winner with 17 minutes left.

Both teams hit the woodwork in a thrilling game, played in drizzle before vociferous South Korean fans dressed in crimson.

Korean coach Cha Bum-kun was boosted by the return of four overseas-based players, including Hwang.

Japanese coach Takeshi Okada said he had been surprised by Korea's all-out attack having expected a more defensive game.

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