South Korea v Greece full time result
South Korea 2 Greece 0
An excellent goal from captain Park Ji-Sung lit up South Korea's deserved 2-0 win over a disappointing Greece at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
South Korea had scored early, with centre back Lee Jung-Soo profiting from some slack Greek marking to pop up with the opening goal just seven minutes into the contest.
But it was Park's second that stole the show, as the Manchester United midfielder rode two challenges before doubling his side's advantage at the beginning of the second half.
A poor Greek side rarely threatened, although forward Theofanis Gekas did draw a smart save from goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong late on.
It was South Korea's day though, as the 2002 semi-finalists began their 2010 campaign in fine style, largely thanks to Lee's early strike.
The defender reacted quickest to an inadvertent Kostas Katsouranis flick-on from Ki Sung-Yong's corner, and slotted home unmarked to give his side the ideal start.
The early goal inspired the South Koreans, and Lee Chung-Yong felt aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty when he went down under a Vasilis Torosidis challenge, before Park Chu-Young drew an excellent save from goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas when played through one-on-one.
Greece were slow, poor and lacking in invention in the first half, with their only sporadic threat coming from a succession of corners from captain Giorgos Karagounis, and their malaise continued into the second period, when South Korea took advantage.
After scoring seven minutes into the first period, the Koreans deservedly scored again just seven minutes into the second, as Park pounced on a loose pass from Loukas Vyntra before driving on towards goal, holding off two defenders and coolly beating Tzorvas with a left footed finish.
South Korea were dominating, and Cha Du-Ri's cross picked out an unmarked Park Chu-Young, who could only head wide with the goal gaping, before a last ditch Vyntra challenge thwarted an onrushing Kim Jung-Woo.
Substitutes Dimitris Salpingidis and Pantelis Kapetanos - on for the disappointing Karagounis and Angelos Charisteas - did at least inject some life into the Euro 2004 winners as both went close, but it was the Koreans who finished the stronger as Greece faded.
Bolton Wanderers midfielder Lee Chung-Yong drew a good save from Tzorvas, before Kim Jung-Woo fired wide from a corner.
A third goal didn't arrive though, with the Koreans settling for two, and a thoroughly deserved victory that gives them a great chance of progressing from Group B.
Tags: