Uruguay 0-0 South Korea: 5 Talking Points as the teams share the spoils after an entertaining draw | 2022 FIFA World Cup 2022

Uruguay and South Korea played out an entertaining 0-0 draw in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, November 24.

Uruguay entered this contest on the back of three wins, one draw, and one defeat in their last five across competitions. South Korea had the exact same record over the course of their last five games as well. The game was all set to be exciting from the get-go.

Uruguay. Look solid. Play South Korea now. Expecting cracking entertainment.

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Both teams made a strong start to the game and looked confident on the ball. Uruguay sat slightly deeper as South Korea's forwards closed them down with their quick pressing in numbers. There was nothing to separate the two teams in terms of possession as they shared the ball equally at 50-50 in the first period.

Diego Godin saw the best chance of the first half flash by him as his header smashed against the left upright and bounced out. Despite six shots between them, neither side was able to hit the target as Uruguay and South Korea went into half-time tied at 0-0.

HT | 🇺🇾 Uruguay 0–0 South Korea 🇰🇷

Both sides had one big chance in the first half, but Darwin Núñez and Ui-Jo Hwang couldn't find the net, so it's goalless at HT.

We may be a bit repetitive, but we hope to see more action after the break! 😅

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Both managers made multiple changes as they looked to gain control of this contest. Uruguay came out for the second half and played a possession game as they tried to carve out an opening. They kept the ball for 62% of the second period and fired six shots goalwards but failed to hit the target.

South Korea did not do much better with their limited chances with 38% possession. They attempted five shots but could not hit the target either as the teams played out another goalless 45 minutes. They created a combined xG of 1.04 for the game between them.

On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.

#5. Uruguay nearly had the lead via their aerial advantage

While South Korea had Min-jae Kim and Young-Gwon Kim in defense, Uruguay did better aerially due to the presence of experienced stalwarts Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez.

The best chance of the first half for Uruguay, or arguably the entire game, fell to Godin. He rose the highest as the ball was crossed into the box and did well to direct his header low and towards the ground. However, the attempt hit the post and bounced out as the scores remained level going into the break.

#4. South Korea lacked dynamism in attack

South Korea struggled to get going in the final third as their front four failed to bring their shooting boots. They attempted just two shots between the front four, with Ui-Jo Hwang and Heung-min Son both firing wide. Midfielder In-Beown Hwang attempted two shots from a deep-lying position but was unable to hit the target as well.

This really hampered Korea's chances of settling down into a rhythm as they were stuck in a constant struggle between sitting back and trying to push men forward to score.

#3. Both goalkeepers had very little to do throughout the game

With 17 shots attempted between Uruguay and South Korea, one would expect that goalkeepers on either end would have been tested adequately. However, none of those shots were on target from either side as both Seung-gyu Kim and Sergio Rochet earned a clean sheet without making a save.

#2. Uruguay looked more fluid with Edinson Cavani up front

Edinson Cavani entered the field of play midway through the second half and immediately made more of an impact than Luis Suarez. He attempted two shots after coming on with one wide of the mark while the other was blocked. This was more than Suarez managed in 64 minutes as he failed to attempt a single shot.

#1. An extraordinary record was set

The game set a unique record and for all the wrong reasons. The clash between the two upcoming sides was the first time in the 21st century that FIFA did not record a single shot on target from either team.

FIFA recorded ZERO shots on target during Uruguay vs. South Korea.

The first time that's happened in a World Cup game this century 😢 https://t.co/XXPcXCudFP