Uruguay and South Korea played out the fourth goalless draw of the 2022 World Cup at the Education City Stadium on Thursday.
A tight first half was mainly comprised of near-misses as South Korea’s quick attackers looked to unsettle Uruguay’s experienced defence, with Jose Gimenez on hand twice to clear promising attacks.
Their best fell to Hwang Ui-jo, who fired over the bar in the first half, before Uruguay captain Diego Godin headed a corner against the post.
Hwang stood with his head in hands afterwards, while team-mates fell to their knees in disbelief, all in front of a group of South Korean fans behind the goal, who were in fine voice throughout.
South Korea had controlled most of the first half but Uruguay began to dominate as the game wore on and they almost won it in the final minute of normal time when Federico Valverde’s long-range effort crashed off the post.
There was one last chance for Tottenham striker Son Heung-min – South Korea’s star man – but he dragged his shot wide, much to the relief of the Uruguayan supporters.
The draw leaves Group H wide open, with many seeing it as a three-way battle for qualification to the knockout stages between Uruguay, South Korea and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
