Iran, South Korea Share Spoils in Friendly International

Date: 11 June 2019 - 21:34

News ID: ۶۶۸۶۸

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea scored once but also put one into their own net as an entertaining football friendly against Iran ended in a 1-1 draw in Seoul Tuesday.
Hwang Ui-jo found the net in his second straight match for the Taeguk Warriors at Seoul's World Cup Stadium, but Kim Young-gwon conceded an own goal for the hosts.
The Iranians, known as "Team Melli", have never lost to South Korea in six meetings, with four wins and two draws.
The only thing missing in the action-packed first half was a goal.
Both sides generated strong scoring chances and the two goalkeepers, Jo Hyeon-woo and Alireza Beiranvand, came up huge to keep clean sheets.
Kim Young-gwon nearly powered home a Son Heung-min corner in the 15th minute, but Beiranvand came up with his first big save of the night.
Jo faced his first test three minutes later when he denied Mehdi Taremi from a low shot from outside the box.
Mehdi Torabi aimed at the far post from the left corner of the box in the 20th minute and saw his well-struck attempt bounce just wide of the target.
Hwang tried to respond for South Korea in the 22nd minute, but Beiranvand turned aside his shot from close range.
Iran had the South Korean defense on their heels for the rest of the half. Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Karim Ansarifard got themselves open in the attacking zone, but neither beat Jo with multiple attempts.
Son Heung-min breathed some life into the South Korean attack with a left-footed shot in the 41st minute, with Beiranvand once again slamming the door shut.
South Korea beat Beiranvand but not the woodwork, as Na Sang-ho's volley off a Lee Yong cross hit the bottom of the bar and bounced just in front of the goal line.
Iranian sub Ahmad Noorollahi was also denied by the crossbar in the 55th minute, as the teams picked up right where they left off in the second half.
South Korea finally beat Beiranvand in the 57th minute.
Two defenders, Milad Mohammadi and Morteza Pouraliganji, ran into each other as they were tracking the flight of a long pass, and Hwang capitalized on the blunder and flicked a shot over Beiranvand, who'd charged out of the net to challenge the forward.
South Korea's lead last only five minutes, however, as Kim Young-gwon had a Ramin Rezaeian corner hit ricochet off his leg past Jo into the goal.
Neither side came close to breaking the deadlock until Son's strike on stoppage time forced Beiranvand to make another great save.
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*******South Korea's Na Sang-ho (red shirt) fights for the ball against Iran's Morteza Pouraliganji during their friendly international in Seoul on June 11, 2019. The match ended 1-1.