The national soccer team on Jan. 30 celebrates after forward Cho Gue-sung of Denmark's FC Midtjylland scores the tying goal in the 54th minute of the second half in the second round of the Asian Cup at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Yonhap News)
The national soccer team has beaten Middle Eastern power Saudi Arabia to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup.
In the competition's round of 16, Coach Jurgen Klinsmann's squad on Jan. 30 earned a 4-2 penalty shootout win in a nail-biting battle at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, after the score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation.
Saudi Arabia got the opening score soon after the second half started, but forward Cho Gue-sung (FC Midtjylland of Denmark) headed in the tying goal in the 54th minute of the second half.
Neither team scored in overtime, forcing a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo blocked Saudi's third and fourth shots as Korea punched its ticket to the quarterfinals.
This was Korea's eighth straight berth in the tournament's quarterfinals since the 1996 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The Taegeuk Warriors are eyeing their first title in the competition in 64 years since claiming the trophy for the second time in 1960.
For the right to play in the semifinals, Korea on Feb. 3 at 12:30 a.m. (Korean Standard Time) will face Australia, which made the final eight after beating Indonesia, 4-0.
jane0614@korea.kr