SOUTH KOREA EDGE THROUGH AS NIGERIA AND GREECE EXIT EARLY

South Korea scraped a draw with Nigeria in a tense Group B finale to progress with Argentina and set up a last sixteen tie against Uruguay.

The Asian outfit haven't found scoring a problem in this tournament which perhaps gave them the confidence to bounce back after an early defensive lapse allowed Kala Uche to get in ahead of Cha Du-Ri and fire home from eight yards.

The early goal put Nigeria firmly in the hunt for a last sixteen berth despite having lost their opening two games. However it wasn't long until the group swung back in favour of the Koreans when a glorious free kick was delivered perfectly between defence and 'keeper towards the back post for Lee Jung-Soo to somewhat fortuitously divert the ball home with his foot after initially attempting to head the ball.

A draw would have been enough for South Korea providing Greece did not beat Argentina, which was looking increasingly unlikely after a first half of little action from the surprisingly defensive Greeks.

In the second half the Koreans again opened up their opponents from a set piece as Park Chu-Young wrong-footed the Nigerian goalkeeper to curl the ball inside the far post and give his side the lead.

Everton striker Yakubu had the perfect opportunity to level the scores but managed to send the ball wide of an open goal from just six yards out, before eventually levelling from the penalty spot just minutes later.

Nigeria went in pursuit of the one goal they needed to progress and dump South Korea out of the tournament. By this stage Greece were well out of the running as their utter refusal to attack cost them dear as they quickly conceded two goals too say goodbye to the World Cup for another four years.

Nigeria came within inches of stealing the tie when Obafemi Martins' dinked effort beat the keeper but rolled wide of the post before Victor Obinna's long range effort crept agonisingly wide.

A draw proved to be enough for South Korea who will face the impressive Uruguay in the next round while group winners Argentina will play an unpredictable Mexico side in a repeat of their second round clash four years ago which Argentina won 2-1 after extra time.

WORLD CUP LATEST LAST SIXTEEN PREDICTIONS

Before the tournament started your two dedicated bloggers from World Cup Latest set about predicting the outcome of the entire tournament. Now this is no easy task as I'm sure many of you are well aware but for Euro 2008 both of us managed to correctly predict three of the four semi finalists, so we've got previous.

With the group stages about to drwa to a close we've decided to share our predictions so you can see how close, or how far, we are from the mark.

Group A vs Group B

David's Predictions
Uruguay vs Nigeria
Argentina vs France

Charlie's Predictions
Mexico v South Korea
Argentina v France

No major surprises here. Both of us favoured France to come through as runners-up in their group and face a serious test aginst Group B winners Argentina in the second round. At the start of the tournament that was considered an upset but with the turmoil currently surrounding the French side you wouldn't find many people backing them to beat South Africa tonight.

However, we differ wildly on the other tie that will result from this group, but are both in with a chance of getting it right. Nigeria, the only African side I backed to get through the groups, have been short of form and a devestating loss to Greece means only victory over the impressive South Korea will give them any hope of qualifying for the next round.

With Charlie backing Mexico to top the group he'll be hoping they can get a win against current Group A leaders Uruguay tonight, but this all South American clash will be a tight affair with bost sides aware that they will be in with a real shot of a quarter final place should they top the group.

Tommorrow; England, America, Germany et al.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS FOR TUESDAY 22 JUNE

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S GAMES:

Mexico 1-0 Uruguay

Mexico have been highly impressive so far and are gaining confidence. Winning Group A will in all likelihood mean avoiding Argentina in the last sixteen. A big incentive.

France 1-2 South Africa

The hosts will finish with a win against the team whose spirit has broken irreparably, but it won't be enough to stop them being the first host nation not to qualify from their group.

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea

Nigeria are in that unusual situation of having lost two games but still being in with a chance of getting through. South Korea are in pole position to reach the second round though - a win for them would guarantee progress.

Greece 1-3 Argentina

Maradona's men will finish their group with three wins, opening the door for the winners of the other game to progress.

WORLD CUP VIEW FROM...SOUTH KOREA

Tim Alper writes for Best 11, a South Korean monthly football magazine, and is a producer for tbs eFM, South Korea's only English-language radio station. He will be producing the 2010 World Cup Update show for the station.

What is the mood in South Korea now with the team's opening match against Greece just five days away?

It's close to fever pitch out here. The World Cup has been a huge deal in South Korea ever since they co-hosted it back in 2002. Just about every major square and sports stadium in Seoul has been decked out with massive TV screens, and people are set to go wild with excitement here. Korea is a pretty exciting place to be when the World Cup rolls around.

Has the Korean Football Association set any particular target for the team at South Africa 2010?

I am not aware that they have. However, the public perception is that, after the disappointment of 2006, when they were knocked out in the group stages, reaching the second round would be a massive achievement. I don't think anyone dares dream of getting further that that.

The level of expectation amongst the fans was clearly very high four years ago following the amazing run to the semi-final on home soil in 2002. Has the sobering experience of Germany 2006 tempered expectations this time?

Certainly. South Korean fans are pretty realistic. They know that 2002 was not a template for future success, it was just one glorious moment in Korean sporting history. But this time, they just want the team to make a real fist of it, and push for the round of 16.

Who do you think are the two most important players for South Korea as this World Cup?

It's hard to narrow it down to two, South Korea's squad in 2010 is quite possibly the best squad they have ever sent to a World Cup. I would say watch out for Celtic's Ki Seung-Young, he is one of the most creative players Korea have in their side. Also, a lot of responsibility lies in the hands of their veteran goalkeeper, Lee Woon-Jae. It either of these players underperform, South Korea will struggle.

The balance of South Korea's group (Group B) is perfect on paper as it contains four teams from four different confederations. Do you think the Korean team is more suited to playing teams from a particular confederation?

If the World Cup were being played anywhere but Africa, I'd say African teams. A lot of teams from Africa see South Korean players as lightweights who they can muscle off the ball easily. But where a lot of teams that play against South Korea come undone is when it comes to underestimating the energy levels of East Asian sides. I doubt there are many sides that can outdo Korea when it comes to basic fitness. A lot of the time, African sides play at really high tempo and run out of steam in the final third of the game. If it weren't for the 'home advantage' of playing in Africa, I'd say that sides like Nigeria, who South Korea will be playing against, would be perfect opponents.

On paper the most difficult of the three group matches looks to be the middle one against Argentina. How important do you think the order in which you play the teams in your group is?

I don't think it makes much difference. South Korea will be going out to win all three, though personally, if I were Huh Jong-Moo, I'd want an early crack at Argentina. Player for player, they look frightening, but I don't think Maradona has the coaching skills or the tactical nous to win them the World Cup.

So, how far do you think South Korea will go?

I would say the second round is realistic. As long as they can take a point or more from their first game, I think they'll do it. If they lose against Greece, they may struggle to qualify.

Looking at the tournament as a whole, which four teams would you expect to reach the semi-finals?

England, Germany, Brazil, Italy.

And the winners?

It's tough to say, as this is the first ever African World Cup. I think it might come down to team spirit and self-belief, and Germany or Italy have those qualities in spades. Spain are easily the best side, if you look at their squad, but I think they may get vertigo when they get to the later rounds. You have to remember that before they triumphed at EURO 2008, they were labelled along with the Dutch as perennial bottlers. I can see the wheels coming off if they go a goal behind against a big, confident side like the Brazilians or the Italians.