Vecino pounces to hand Koreans 1st loss under new boss

Vecino pounces to hand Koreans 1st loss under new boss

He scored from close range to give Uruguay a 2-1 win over Jurgen Klinsmann's team.

Uruguay’s Matias Vecino (second from left) scores his side’s second goal against South Korea during their international friendly match in Seoul. (AP pic)
SEOUL:
Matias Vecino scored from close range in the second half as Uruguay earned a 2-1 win over South Korea in Seoul today, handing Jurgen Klinsmann his first defeat in his second game at the helm of the Taeguk Warriors.

Klinsmann was appointed last month to replace Paulo Bento and has not won in either of his first two games in charge having seen his side draw 2-2 with Colombia on Friday.

Defender Sebastian Coates gave the Uruguayans the lead in the 10th minute when he rose above the Korean defence to head in Federico Valverde’s corner.

But Hwang In-beom levelled six minutes after the interval when, with the Uruguayan defence in disarray, Lee Ki-je cut the ball back for the midfielder to slot in.

Vecino restored his side’s lead in the 63rd minute when he pounced on a loose ball in the six-yard box after Jo Hyeon-woo had parried Joaquin Piquerez’s freekick from outside the area.

The Koreans thought they had equalised again when Kim Young-gwon rose above goalkeeper Santiago Mele to head in with 15 minutes remaining, only for referee Yusuke Araki to judge the defender had handled the ball after a lengthy VAR check.

Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu then fell victim to a marginal offside call when he thought he had levelled seven minutes from time as the Uruguayans clung on.

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