Hwang-hee Chan's late goal sent South Korea into the knockout stages with goals scored, but only after an agonizing post-match wait

Match Report: South Korea 2-1 Portugal

Group H: South Korea came out late but eventually delivered on their end of the deal against Portugal, who were already qualified, before enduring an agonizing wait to see who confirmed their place in the round of 16. Andy Hunter reports a tense and occasionally crazy night at Education City Stadium.

South Korea modern to the round of 16

They sit second in the group behind Portugal, while Ghana and Uruguay both come out. Luis Suárez is sobbing on the bench as several teammates chase the referee down the tunnel to complain that VAR did not adequately control Cavani's late penalty incident. The German referee leaves the field of play, brandishing a barrage of yellow cards.

Total Time: South Korea 2-1 Portugal

Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! It was all over, and the South Korean players collapsed on the grass, uncertain whether or not they qualified for the knockout stages. They have done their bit, but there are still six minutes left in the match between Uruguay and Ghana. It's 2-0 for Uruguay, but they require one more goal!

90+6 min: It must be said that goal came out of nowhere. South Korea didn't look threatening in the last 20 minutes of this game, and then… boom!

90+4 min: As it stands, South Korea is second in goals scored, but another Uruguayan goal in their game against Ghana would put them out. Soccer is fucking hell.

90+2 min: What a goal! South Korea counterattacks and Son gallops through the box to box with the ball at his bottom. He slips in a perfectly weighted and timed pass behind Hwang, who stays to the side and doesn't make any mistakes as he slots the ball into the corner.

GOAL!!! South Korea 2-1 Portugal (Hwang 90+1)

Wow! South Korea takes the lead when the fourth official signals six minutes of stoppage time.

87 min: South Korea keeps working, but I don't get any vibes from Kitchen Sink even though a goal would change everything. Let it go!!!

84 min: Uruguay follow up on beating Ghana 2-0 in the other Group H match. If that match ends with that scoreline and South Korea pulls out a winner here, they would progress to the round of 16 at Uruguay's expense on goals scored.

83 min: Portugal conducts on Bernardo Silva and William Carvalho for Vitinha and Joao Mario.

81 min: South Korea double-substitution: Jun-ho Son (no relation) and Ui-jo Hwang (no connection) on for Kwon and Lee.

80 min: Kyung-won Kwon has been struggling and goes to the ground, flat on his back in his penalty area, and needs treatment. The medics signal to the bench that he needs to be replaced and aid him off the pitch.

77 min: Dalot squares a low ball across the edge of the South Korean six-yard box. It's cleared ahead the lurking Joao Mario can pounce.

73 min: Portugal wins a free-kick about 35 yards from the Portugal goal. It's a long method out, but Lee Kang-in tries his 

success and sends the ball high and wide. It was a very optimistic

attempt, and he might have been better served just delivering the ball into the box.

71 min: Leao pulls a shot well wide of the far post, as Cancelo, who was knocked off his feet and winded by that Son volley, is forced to shuffle around the perimeter of the pitch from the Portugal goal to the halfway line before being allowed back on the pitch by the commendably officious and fussy referee.

70 min: Kim Jin-Su sends a cross to the back post, where Son attaches with a volley. Struck from point-blank range, his shot hits Cancelo in the ribcage, catching a bit of the upper arm. South Korea appeals for a penalty, but none is forthcoming.

67 min: South Korea substitution: Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan is on Despite Jae-sung Lee. Hwang has been suffering from a hamstring injury but is thrown on as his side is in dire need of a goal. We can only assume Paulo Bento has yet to see too many Wolves matches this season. Hwang has barely got a look-in despite his club team's struggles in front

65 min: It's close, but no cigar for South Korea as Costa saves well from a dominant Hwang In-be

64 min: Portugal triple-substitution: Andre Silva, Rafael Leao, also Joao Palhinha on, Matheus Nunes, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ruben Neves off. Pepe takes the captain's armband from Ronaldo, who does not look pleased with being hooked.

63 min: South Korea center-back Kwon Kyung-won, in as a replacement for the mighty Kim Min-Jae, goes down injured and needs treatment.

61 min: Son gallops upfield on the break with Portugal's defenders backpedaling furiously. He cuts inside to the left, runs toward traffic on the edge of the Portugal penalty area, and loses the ball. He had choices on either side of him.

59 min: "fascinating match to view, at 

minimum as a Portuguese" writes Joao Andre. "I must say I love Ronaldo's perspective. He starts complaining whenever his teammates do not do well to press the build-up. I guess it must be difficult for such an adept ball retrieval master to take such levels of passivity. What do you think? Earning mark at Klopp's team from January on?"

58 min: South Korea gets another ball into the Portugal penalty area from a free-kick. It sails as regards the far post, where Cho misjudges its flight and throws his hands to his head as it bounces harmlessly behind him and then rolls out of play. That was an excellent chance.

57 min: A South Korean counterattack ends with Son having a shot from a distance deflected out for a corner. His transport is poor but breaks to Lee Jae-Sung, who mishits his volley.

54 min: A Portugal

rood to the far post, and Matheus Nunes leaps unmarked. The ball is a mite too high, and he can't attach.

52 min: Joao Coutinho games a neat little dink over the top to Ronaldo on the edge of the six-yard box. His Lordship takes a wild swing and misses the ball perfectly. His blushes are saved by an offside flag, although replays advise it was a very, very, very close call.

48 min: Portugal is dominating possession in this early moment of the second half but no sooner do I type that than Pepe gives the ball away. The wily old s***house is 39, a full 20 years older than his intermedial defensive partner Antonio Silva.

47 min: Matheus Nunes chips a ball from huge to Ronaldo on the edge of the South Korea penalty area. It's headed lucid by a defender, and the flag goes up for offside.

Second half: South Korea 1-1 Portugal

46 min: Portgual kick-off with no changes in personnel on either side. They promote up the right, but a poor cross from Joao Cancelo sends the ball sailing out of play for a goal kick.

Half-time: South Korea 1-1 Portugal

Peep! It's all square at the break, with South Korea having mounted a stirring comeback later going behind to a very early strike from Ricardo Horta. Kim Young-Kwan scrambled the ball home from a corner after Portugal had failed to learn their lesson on the back of a let-off in similar circumstances a few minutes formerly.

45 min: South Korea gets an excellent cross into the Portugal box from the left. Lee Kang-in leaps but can't get his head to it, and it bounces through to the far post, where CHo stretches but can't quite extend it. Both players are left holding their heads in her hands.

43 min: With his back to goal, Ricardo Hortacollecta passes on the edge of the South Korea penalty area. He shoots on the turn, but his effort is relatively weak and straight at the goalkeeper.

42 min: "Portugal are playing every pub pundit's special rant tactic, 

topical marking at set pieces," writes Hugh Molloy. "South Korearepeatedly has a person of

the entry fee for the second ball/knockdown."

It's interesting because South Korea took a dozen or more corners against Ghana, and everyone they took was terrible, barely making it to, let alone clearing the near post area. It was an s a crisp contrast to today when their goal and the disallowed effort from earlier both came from corners.

40 min: Son gets the ball onto his left foot and shoots through a thicket of bodies outside the Portugal penalty area. Diogo Costa sees the ball late, but it's vertical at him. He saves comfortably.

38 min: Lee Kang-in gets booked for a relatively robust challenge on Vitinha that sends the Portuguese midfielder flying acrobatically through the air.

34 min: Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa launches the ball for Diogo Dalot to chase. The full-back gets the better of Jin-Su Kim again, cuts inside, and unleashes a rasping shot from a distance. Kim Seung-Gyu gains down low to his right to rescue.