FIFA World Cup 2010: Korea DPR vs. Ivory Coast - Half Time Report.
Ivory Coast and Korea DPR went into today’s match with quite different perspectives. Ivory Coast needed to overcome a seven goal deficit and win today’s match while hoping Brazil beat Portugal in order to confirm their qualification to the next round. DPRK went into the match with zero points and were bottom of the table, the only thing they could possibly play for was to salvage some pride.
The match began with Ivory coast on top and Ivory Coast had a real chance in the first five minutes, but a fine save from the Korean keepr, Ri stopped the goal. As the half started to shape up it was Ivory Coast doing most of the attacking with the Korean’s looking to attack on the break. Drogba had the ball in the net on the tenth minute but it was disallowed as Drogba was a centimeter offside, it was a beautifully taken header none the less. Manchester City bound midfielder, Yaya Toure, controlled the ball brilliantly outside the box before passing it around the keeper, into the goal. So Ivory Coast were one nil up after that beautifully taken goal.
Romaric had an audacious shot come off the post, he struck the ball from the right flank with his weaker left foot, but it had the keeper well beaten. Drogba showed some magnificent control as he controlled the ball turned and took a thunderous shot which came off the post, but fortunately fell in front of Romaric who headed it home. Ivory Coast were now two goals up and looking like scoring another, any second now. The DPRK player Jo took a free kick from twenty yards out which had the keeper glued to his position, but the ball sailed inches over the bar.
Soon after that Ivory Coast were back on the attack, with the Korean’s keeping them at bay. The Ivoirians were showing the Koreans only 26 percent of position at the half hour mark. The game quieted down significantly compared to the opening minutes and the Ivoirians, weren’t making chances as easily as they did in the opening quarter. The first half came to a close with the score two nil in Ivory Coasts favor. There were no bookings during the half.
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