South Korea snatch win over Mexico

Yoo Sang Chul celebrates his last-minute winner

South Korea 2-1 Mexico

South Korea snatched a vital win over Mexico which all but seals the reigning Confederations Cup champions' fate.

Yoo Sang-chul capped a brilliant game with a last-minute winner that sent the capacity 44,000 crowd wild.

The Korean midfielder outjumped the Mexican defence to meet a floated corner kick that scraped inside the left post.

Mexico substitute Victor Ruiz had dragged his team back into the game with nine minutes remaining.

But his goal failed to prevent a second consecutive defeat for Mexico and their probable early exit from the competition.

South Korea took a 1-0 lead on 55 minutes when Hwang Sun Hong sent an angled header past a full-stretch Mexico keeper Oswaldo Sanchez.

  Key moments

55 mins: Hwang Sun Hong heads South Korea into the lead

81 mins: Victor Ruiz equalises for Mexico

89 mins: Yoo Sang Chul grabs a last-minute winner

Choi Sung Yong, who had troubled the Mexican defence with several lightning runs on the right flank, provided the perfect assist with his lobbed cross into the area on a Korean counter-attack.

The co-hosts could have doubled their lead but missed a host of chances - Kim Do Hoon had his shot blocked, Hong Myung Bo misdirected a left-foot strike and Hwang missed with a header.

Marco Antonio Ruiz had a chance to level on 66 minutes but the midfielder sent his right-foot strike sliding across the goalmouth.

Duilo Davino was yellow-carded for a challenge on Yoo in the 72nd minute but Sanchez pulled off a brave save from the resulting free-kick to keep Mexico in the game.

Blasted by coach Guus Hiddink after the opener against France for being too timid and overwhelmed by world champions France, a pumped-up South Korean team were clearly hungry for the game.

The Koreans created the only genuine scoring chances in the opening period but lacked the finishing to convert them.

Hwang beat the onrushing Sanchez to a through ball on the left and put a cross in for Kim, who missed with a limp back-heeled shot in front of an open goal.

Hiddink: Sure to be pleased with result

Choi then curled a free-kick into the box, where Yoo glanced a header over the crossbar as he clashed heads mid-air with Mexico striker Jared Borgetti.

Both players returned to the field, Borgetti sporting a bandage to protect a gashed head.

Mexico, already stunned by a 2-0 opening defeat by Australia on Wednesday, faced another shocker until Ruiz fired his free-kick just past the reach of South Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae.

Lee had pulled off a brilliant save two minutes earlier to protect South Korea's lead, but did not get enough height to stop Ruiz' shot as it scraped under the crossbar.

Both teams drilled shots on target in the remaining 10 minutes.

But the rival keepers made athletics saves until the dying minute when Sanchez' outstretched arms failed to stop the winner.

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South Korea: Lee Woon Jae, Kang Jul, Choi Sung Yong, Song Chong Gug, Yoo Sang Chul, Kim Tae Young, Kim Do Hoon, Hwang Sun Hong, Hong Myung Bo (capt), Park Ji Sung, Ko Jong Su.

Mexico: Oswaldo Sanchez, Claudio Suarez (capt), Duilio Davino, David Rangel, Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Jared Borgetti, Daniel Orsono, Pavel Pardo, Antonio De Nigris, Octavio Valdez, Cesareo Victorino.

Referee: Hugh Dallas (Sco)