A late goal from substitute Lee Jaesung spared Korea Republic's blushes at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on March 31, as the Asian Cup runners-up edged a plucky young All Whites combination 1-0 in a highly entertaining game despite the wet conditions. Considering their lack of experience, the Kiwi team made a composed start in the face of a Korean side which was farewelling one of its longest serving players, Cha Duri, in this match, the captain for the day having announced his retirement prior to the clash. But it was a player at the start of his international career who caught the eye in the first half, All Whites goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic dashing off his line to clear off the toes of Han Kyowon five minutes into the contest. Three minutes later, the All Whites threatened to open the scoring, Marco Rojas' corner picking out Chris Wood, who swivelled to lash a fifteen-yarder on target. Unfortunately for New Zealand's captain, Korean 'keeper Kim Jinhyeon was right behind his effort. The Koreans gradually settled into their stride, and forced a succession of corners half-way through the first half from which they went desperately close to opening the scoring. Son Heungmin took all of them, and his accuracy was pinpoint. On the first occasion, Kim Juyoung rose between defenders to direct an unchallenged header a foot past the near post. Then, a delivery to the far post saw Nam Taehee's header cannon off Declan Wynne to safety, with the corner which resulted from this picking out Ki Sungyeung, who met the ball with a full-length diving header which also missed the target by mere inches. The All Whites responded in kind, Wood holding off a couple of challenges before thrashing a deflected twenty-five yarder narrowly over the crossbar. Rojas took the resulting corner, and picked out the head of Bill Tuiloma, who directed his 26th minute glancing header just past the far post. The Koreans mounted a swift counter-attack, with Han and Cha combining on the right. The retiree delivered one final teasing cross on the international stage, this one arcing just beyond Ki as he raced in on the far post. After Wood had directed a twenty-yarder at Kim Jinhyeon, Marinovic mistimed his dash out of goal in the 38th minute and sent Han tumbling in the area. But the 'keeper redeemed himself seconds later, turning Son's spot-kick round the post in splendid fashion. End-to-end action ensued. The All Whites cleared the resulting corner, with Rojas leading the charge downfield until a breakdown in communication near the edge of the Korean penalty area invited the home team to raid once more. Son led the charge - he was not best pleased at having missed from twelve yards! - and stormed into the All Whites half before feeding Han, up in support on his left. The striker flighted a lovely cross to the far post which Ji Dongwon met with a powerful header which was home for all money until Marinovic, who had been caught off his line, leapt backwards to pull off a stunning save. In a half which saw a fair few niggly fouls committed by both teams, not to mention a few less savoury challenges by the Koreans, the visitors were denied a goal on the stroke of half-time when Wood was adjudged to have committed an infringement while getting the better of both Kim Jinhyeon and the retreating Kim Younggwon in the air. The teams returned for the second half with an added burden to cope with - drizzle, which soon turned to steady rain. It didn't stop either side

playing with the same degree of elan which had made the first half such an attractive prospect. Inside the first minute of the half, Michael Boxall was caught in possession, which resulted in half-time substitute Koo Jaechol angling a fifteen-yarder across the face of goal. The same player then forced a parried save from Marinovic seven minutes later, following another driving run by Son. The rebound fell to the set-piece specialist, who looked to pick out Ki on the back post with a cross. The All Whites survived that threat, and made a substitution, with debutant Clayton Lewis making way for Joel Stevens, who lasted five minutes before a clattering aerial challenge from Koo left the speedster in agony with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder. Louis Fenton, no stranger to such an injury, replaced his stricken team-mate, but while the All Whites were reorganising themselves the Koreans put the ball in the net from a Son corner in the 62nd minute. Fortunately for the visitors, an eagle-eyed referee's assistant had spotted that Ji had used his forearm to help guide the ball on target - no goal was the ruling. When New Zealand attacked, Wood was their spearhead, and the Koreans struggled to contain his direct style of play, not to mention the burly striker's technical prowess despite being buffeted by defenders. A half-chance fell Michael McGlinchey's way thanks to Wood's 68th minute efforts, but the Koreans crowded him out, and instantly sett off on a nice flowing move which culminated in Nam's cross being flicked on by substitute Lee Jaesung for Ji, who set up Park for a shot which the overlapping fullback pulled across the face of goal. From this point, the Koreans began stepping up the pressure against a New Zealand team which featured six debutants - Marinkovic, solidly performed central defender Themi Tzimopoulos, Lewis, Ryan de Vries, and second half substitutes Moses Dyer and Ben Van Den Broek. Try as they might, however, the natives had to bow to the visitors' willingness to work their socks off and chase and thwart their rivals at every turn. Ki lashed a twenty-five yarder narrowly past the post twelve minutes from time as the host nation built up a head of steam. But they had to survive another Wood-inspired thrust two minutes later, the striker getting on the end of a Wynne cross to beat Kim Jinhyeon in the air, only for substitute Kwak Taehwi to clear off the line. Korea's pressure eventually paid dividends four minutes from time. The All Whites withstood yet another raid, but in attempting to play the ball out of defence, the sheer numbers of the home team forced an error from McGlinchey. A trio of substitutes instantly combined. Lee Jeonghyeop won the ball for Kim Bokyung to let fly. Marinovic parried his effort, but Lee Jaesung was following in, and steered the ball home from an acute angle to clinch a deserved but hard-earned victory for a Korea Republic team which had to work for it in the face of a plucky performance from a vastly inexperienced All Whites side - the young 'uns did well. Korea Rep.:     Kim Jinhyeon; Cha Duri (Kim Changsoo, 43), Kim Juyoung (Kwak Taehwi, 46), Kim Younggwon, Park Jooho; Han Kyowon (Koo Jaechol, 46), Ki Sungyeung, Han Kookyoung, Son Heungmin (Lee Jaesung, 63); Ji Dongwon (Lee Jeonghyeop, 72), Nam Taehee (Kim Bokyung, 83) All Whites:     Marinovic; Roux, Boxall, Tzimopoulos, Wynne; De Vries (Boyd, 46), Tuiloma (Van Den Broek, 83), Rojas (Dyer, 78), McGlinchey, Lewis (Stevens, 53 (Fenton, 60)); Wood