Fan anger as Iran beat S. Korea to reach World Cup

Hundreds of fans hurled bottles and debris on to the pitch Tuesday as Iran beat hosts South Korea 1-0 to reach the World Cup after an angry build-up involving taunts from both teams.

Iran scored in the second half and against the run of play to qualify top of Group A and give South Korea some nervous moments before they also went through on goal difference following Uzbekistan’s 5-1 win over Qatar.

As the Iranian players grabbed national flags and celebrated on the pitch at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, angry home fans threw plastic water bottles and other items.

The scenes brought an unsavoury end to a game already tainted by some unusually harsh trash talk, after South Korea pledged to “make life painful” for Iran and to force their captain to cry “tears of blood”.

In return, Iran’s coach Carlos Queiroz called the comments “shameful” and accused South Korea of taking it easy in their 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan, in a bid to keep his team out of the World Cup.

This week, pictures circulated on Twitter of the former Manchester United assistant boss wearing a picture of Choi Kang-Hee, his South Korean rival, taped to his T-shirt, in an apparent joke.

But despite the acrimonious build-up, the game started in tepid fashion.

Ex-Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-Gook tested Rahman Ahmadi with a stinging attempt from distance and Son Heung-Min fired over in the 21st minute, but any goal would have been disallowed as the referee blew for a foul by Kim Shin-Wook.

South Korea were firmly on top without creating clear chances, and Lee Myung-Joo’s penalty shout, when he was clattered on the edge of the box on 40 minutes, was one of their best opportunities of the first half.

Iran started the second period with more ambition and on the hour, they were suddenly in front thanks to a defensive howler from Kim Young-Gwon and the alert thinking of Reza Ghoochannejhad.

Defender Kim failed to make a simple clearance on the right touchline and had his pocket picked by Ghoochannejhad, who scampered goalwards and bent a left-footed shot around Jung Sung-Ryong.

South Korea pressed desperately for the equaliser and Kim Young-Gwon nearly made amends for his mistake when he put a free header wide near the end. Lee Keun-Ho also nearly headed the leveller in injury time.

However the Taeguk Warriors clung on to Group B’s second automatic qualifying spot on goal difference, despite Uzbekistan’s 5-1 win over Qatar in Tashkent, which finished a few minutes later.