Archive for May 22nd, 2010

World Cup Preview: Nigeria vs. South Korea, June 22

On June 22, Nigeria and South Korea conclude group play, when they face each other at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa. At 2:30 p.m. ET, the match will begin. Nigeria and South Korea are members of Group B.

In the first ever World Cup played on the continent, Nigeria is one of teams representing Africa. As a result, they will have a home-field advantage of sorts. No African team has ever made it to the World Cup final and fans will be delighted to see it happen in their own continent.

The game will obviously have important implications, as the final game of group play. They will use this as an opportunity to prove they are for real if one of the two (or both) is able to beat Argentina prior to this match.

This year, South Korea is one of three Asian teams playing for the World Cup. At least, they will look to go as far as they did in the 2002 World Cup, when they made it to the semifinals while co-hosting the tournament with Japan.

With midfielder Ji-Sung Park, South Korea’s success likely begins and ends. By playing in all of South Korea’s World Cup matches in 2002 and 2006 and by playing very well for the globally recognized Manchester United of the English Premier League, the beloved midfielder has made a name for himself.

With the speedy Nigerians, South Korea will have no problem enduring through the game. In the tournament, they are one of the best-conditioned teams. Nigeria appears to be a little stronger with their attackers. The supportive crowd may energize them to victory, if they can get a goal early.