S Korea end Australia's unbeaten run

South Korea celebrate but crash out of the tournament

South Korea 1-0 Australia

South Korea ended the Socceroos' unbeaten Confederations Cup run Sunday with a 1-0 win at Suwon's World Cup Stadium, but still missed a semi-final berth.

South Korea went into the match needing to win by four goals to guarantee their progress in the tournament it is co-hosting with Japan as a warm-up to the 2002 World Cup.

But Hwang Sun-hong's goal in the 28th minute was to be the only goal the Australians conceded in preliminaries.

The Australians went close to equalising in the 85th minute but Lee Woon-jae pulled off a save and Clayton Zane's challenge on the Korean keeper earned him his second yellow card.

Suspension

Reduced to 10 men in the dying minutes, Australia held out to limit the damage but will be without their key striker for the semi-finals.

  Final Group A standings

1 France P 3 Pts 6 GD +8

2 Australia P 3 Pts 6 +2

3 S Korea P 3 Pts 6 -3

4 Mexico P 3 Pts 0 -7

Both teams exchanged shots on goal in the second half, with Brett Emerton's left-foot strike blocked in the 54th minute and Zane's angled header from the resulting corner kick sliding across goals.

Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer pulled off a fingertip save the next minute off Choi Sung-yong's full-blooded right-foot drive to prevent South Korea extending its lead.

Scott Chipperfield made a blinding run down the left flank in the 74th minute, beating two defenders and sending a short cross into the goal box, but Emerton could not connect to convert the scoring chance.

Australia's defensive line leaked its first goal here when Hwang's glancing right-footer sailed over Schwarzer and into the back left corner of the net.

Intimidating atmosphere

After a series of poor defensive passes, Park Young-ho stole possession and then chipped a pass into the penalty area, where Hwang got his right foot to a rebound off a defender to steer home the match-winner.

Kim Do-hoon fired a right-foot shot that Schwarzer tipped outside the right post the next minute but the Koreans were called back for offside.

The big Australians, who had used their size advantage to unsettle Mexico and France, looked cumbersome against the fast-paced Korean line-up.

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South Korea: Lee Woon-Jae, Hong Myung-Bo (capt), Choi Sung-Yong, Song Chung-Gug, Kim Tae-Young, Kim Do-Hoon, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Lee Min-Sung, Lee Young-Pyo, Hwang Sun-Hong, Park Ji-Sung.

Australia: Mark Schwarzer, Kevin Muscat, Paul Okon (capt), Craig Moore, Brett Emerton, Tony Vidmar, Shaun Murphy, Marco Bresciano, Hayden Foxe, Clayton Zane, Steve Corica.

Referee: Oscar Ruiz Acosta (Colombia).