Sorry I couldn't get this to you guys sooner. EafraSoccer.com:
The quick Koreans will take on the experienced Greeks in the third match of the World Cup.
Saturday's game brings us a match much similar to the South Africa vs Mexico matchup, except none of these teams are the hosts. Who's the team to bet on? Let's get right to it.
The Koreans will attack quickly
South Korea are no strangers to this tournament and they should NOT be overlooked here. The Koreans have a history of exceeding expectations and I believe that they have the talent and experience to do it once again. A great example of this? The 2002 World Cup, where South Korea won Group D with wins over expected group winner Portugal, Poland, and finally a draw against the United States. They finished 4th place after a much entertaining match against Turkey. Despite all the claims (quite possibly truths - check the video at the end of this preview) that South Korea only made it that far because they were the host country, and therefore their matches were fixed, South Korea still has a skilled enough team to get them through to the knockout stages.
The Koreans as a team are very quick and talented. But just like every other team, there are some players who stand out more than others. One of those standout players is Park Chu-Young (AS Monaco). Park Chu-Young's quick pace and agility will definitely need to be contained by the Greeks as he picked up 9 goals, 3 assists in 22 appearances for Monaco last season. If the Greeks are unfortunate enough to give the Koreans a free-kick outside the box, Park Chu-Young will most likely take it, and he will most likely score. Another talent is Bolton's Lee Chu-Young. He will undoubtedly be involved in any goal that Korea scores this tournament. His through balls and crosses are frighteningly accurate from the wing, as he had a pretty decent season with his club team Bolton. Last but not least, we can't forget about Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung. The skipper will lead every counter-attack the Koreans have just as he has done so when he was on the field for the Red Devils. Park is extremely dangerous and is definitely South Korea's most valuable player.
Nothing but positive things to say about the Koreans, but what about the Greeks?
The Greeks have already reached their peak
Greece comes into this tournament after some poor results in the Pre-World Cup friendlies. The 2004 Euro Champions did not win any of their friendlies. Not only that, they tied to an extremely weak North Korean team, giving up 2 goals in the process to a team that most likely won't score any goals in group play. They do have some bright spots in players like Theofanis Gekas (Frankfurt) and Angelo Charisteas (Nuremburg). Gekas is no stranger to the scoresheet as the 30 year old has recently been named the top goalscorer of the European qualification scoring 10. Charisteas has had quite the history with The Greek national team with his most recent goal coming in the Pre-World Cup friendly against North Korea. Honestly, I don't think these two players are enough for Greece to cause up a stir in group play.
A team that used to be so strong defensively seems to be struggling with that at the moment. The Greeks have conceded 6 goals in 3 matches. To make matters worse, they were held scoreless in 2 of those 3 matches. Against a team with the attacking talent of South Korea, this is a formula for disaster.
The verdict
This preview definitely supports me backing South Korea. The Greeks reached their peak as a country with the fluke Euro 2004 win. One can argue that the ages on this squad support that they are experienced, but to me, the ages just suggest that they won't have the pace or fitness to keep up with a quick and talented South Korean team. I like the Koreans to finish second and advance to the knockout stages, which is why I am taking South Korea PK here.
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Match Preview: South Korea vs Greece - June 12
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