Quite a good game with both team playing flowing, short passing football on a well grassed but sandy SFS. The first half started well for Australia with a lot of penetration down the left with De Amicic, Tapai, and Halpin combining well. Australia had a gilt edged chance when Trajanovski set up Saad who in the box facing the keeper lamely kicked it straight at him. At the other end the only real lapse let a Korean free and he cannoned a shot of the right upright and on the rebound shot straight at a recovering Petkovic. At 38 mins Halpin, De Amicis and Trajanovski combined with delightful one twos to put Tapai free on the right to side foot the ball away. 1-0
The second half saw Korea pick up the tempo but the Australian defence was quite solid and not square. After extended pressure that we soaked up some of El Tel's line up changes broke Korea's momentum but with another sitter missed by Saad and a few more chances the Aussies ran out worthy winners over a combative South Korea team on the way to France.
Best: De Amicis, Trajanovski, Halpin. Others for comment - Saad missed two total sitters, the defence was quite good however young Emerton was subdued and didn't get forward enough, Petkovic had a good game, and Tapai worked hard. Trimmers was marked out of the game after the first 20 and substitute Jonesy was a bit slow against the pacy Koreans.