Korea Republic v. Spain

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Destinies Determined By Game's Very Last Kick

by Jeremy Ruane

In the last of three minutes of stoppage time at Ottawa's Lansdowne Stadium on June 17, New Zealand referee Anna-Marie Keighley blew her whistle - free-kick for Spain, inside the "D", the result of a handball offence by Korea Republic defender Boram Hwang.

Drama! Oh, what drama!

This would be the last act of the match, and for one of these teams, their last act in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. With Brazil having edged Costa Rica 1-0 - a score neither team was aware of, the destinies of the Koreans and the Spanish would be determined by the game's very last kick …

You would never have anticipated this being the situation at half-time in this encounter. Spain were absolutely bossing it, and had been largely since the very first whistle, within seconds of which Natalia Pablos came within inches of turning home Marta Corredera's cross.

Two minutes later, Pablos was in the thick of things again, her shot on the turn fizzing narrowly past the post after Alexia Putellas had made in-roads down the left, having been released by Leire Landa.

Korea first threatened in the sixteenth minute, Ji Soyun being thwarted by the tackle of back-tracking Spanish striker Veronica Boquete, the Korean number ten having weaved her way through four challenges en route to the Spanish penalty area.

Spain swiftly counter-attacked, Pablos' through ball for Corredera just running too far on the turf pitch, something which has happened quite a bit in this tournament as players have endeavoured to adapt to playing on synthetic turf rather than natural grass.

Another Spanish raid soon after saw Corredera careering down the right before sending in a low cross for Boquete to utilise. She mis-timed her shot, however, allowing Hwang to tidy things up for the Koreans, who were playing a very cagey game to this point, endeavouring to weather their opponents' attacking flurries.

They managed to do so until the 29th minute. After Vicky Losada had sent one over the bar upon working a one-two with Putellas, Pablos burst past two defenders into the penalty area on the right before pulling the ball back for Losada.

Her shot was blocked by Korean captain Cho Sohyun, but the rebound fell kindly for Putellas, who fed Corredera on the left, from where she picked Boquete with a low cross. From eight yards, she rammed the ball home to give Spain the lead they deserved.

That drew a response from the Koreans, which Celia Jimenez snuffed out with a timely 31st minute tackle to deny Kang Yumi in the act of shooting, after Jeon Gaeul had made in-roads down the right.

Spain retorted with a glorious chance to double their lead, one which was badly squandered by Pablos. Boquete played the ball wide to Putellas, who slipped the striker in on goal, with just Kim Jungmi to beat ten yards away.

Instead of going for placement, ideally the "postage stamps" by each corner of the goal, Pablos went for power, allowing Kim to turn her shot to safety. A goal at this point, and it would have been hard for the Koreans to get back into the contest, so polished and accomplished had Spain's first half performance been.

It looked like continuing early in the second spell, Corredera, on receipt of a pass from Boquete, nutmegging Lee Eunmi before whipping in a cross which only just went over the head of Pablos two minutes into the half.

Korea hit back strongly. Landa thwarted Ji in the area, before Jimenez headed a Jeon corner to safety as Hwang looked to meet it on the far post. But in the 53rd minute, the Asian team were back in the contest.

Ji released Kang down the right, and after evading a challenge, she picked out Cho with a cross which the captain headed home superbly from four yards, directing her angled header beyond the flailing fingertips of Ainhoa Tirapu to level the scores - game on!

Ji found herself surrounded by defenders soon after as she attempted to turn the game on its head with another Korean goal four minutes later, but Spain stood firm, and responded in kind, substitute Silvia Meseguer rattling the stanchion with a twenty-five yard piledriver two minutes after entering the fray.

Kim then parried a Corredera shot to safety as the European team looked to regain the ascendancy, but Korea came right back at them, substitute Younga Yoo getting to the left-hand by-line before being thwarted by the covering figure of Irene Paredas.

Eighteen minutes from time, a near disastrous display of hesitancy by Hwang, on receipt of a pass from Shim Seoyeon, allowed Boquete to swoop and surge for goal. The Korean duo managed to curtail her progress, but it was a near-run thing, as was another Meseguer shot three minutes later, substitute Sonia Bermudez and Boquete having teamed up to present the midfielder with the chance.

Twelve minutes from time, Korea took the lead via a highly unlikely source. Half-time substitute Kim Sooyun hurtled down the right onto Jeon's pass before firing over a cross which kept on coming. Tirapu realised too late that it wasn't curling, and could only look on in despair as it arced over her head en route to the netting inside the far post.

The Koreans engulfed their delighted scorer, as Spain stood shell-shocked - they hadn't even looked like conceding a second goal. But they had, and in the twelve minutes remaining, they piled on the pressure - they simply had to score to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages. But the Koreans stood firm, rebuffing everything their European rivals could muster.

Sonia Bermudez looked to have volleyed Spain's last chance over the bar, when Maria Torrejon picked her out with an angled cross in stoppage time. But with time all but up on the clock, Landa pumped the ball forward one more time …

Handball by Hwang! The whistle sounded. Free-kick to Spain, inside the "D". And a red card for the offender, who had already been booked? No intent, deemed referee Keighley, who was soon occupied with ensuring the Korean wall was the required distance from the ball, and accommodating the Spanish players keen to occupy certain spots within it, jostle-free.

All the while, Bermudez waited. Waited to take the biggest kick of her career. The biggest kick in the history of women's football in both Korea Republic and Spain. If she scored, Spain would draw level, and, unbeknown to either side, qualify for the next round as runners-up, at the same time consigning the Koreans to last place in the group on goal difference.

If she missed, the Koreans would prevail 2-1 and clinch second spot, with Spain's tournament over and done with, one point and fourth place their lot from a group from which they harboured high hopes of advancing.

Pressure? You'd better believe it. The 21,562 fans in the stadium looked on intently, caught up in this moment of pure sporting drama.

The whistle blew. Bermudez took one last, deep breath … then stepped forward. She connected perfectly, the ball arcing over both the wall and Kim Jungmi … twang! It cannoned skywards off the crossbar, and as it dropped, referee Keighley - she's having a very good tournament, as is fellow Kiwi Sarah Walker, who ran the line in this match - blew the final whistle.

Overwhelming ecstasy for Korea. Undisguised agony for Spain, the two nations' World Cup destinies having been determined by the game's very last kick.

Korea Rep.: J. Kim; H. Kim (S. Kim, 46), Shim, Hwang (booked, 69), Lee; Kang (H. Park, 77), Cho, Kwon, Jeon; E. Park (Yoo, 59), Ji

Spain: Tirapu; Jimenez, Torrejon, Paredes, Landa; Corredera (Vazquez, 75), Losada (Meseguer, 57), Torrecilla (booked, 56), Putellas; Pablos (Bermudez, 63), Boquete

Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)

2015 Draw