Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: A Lee Dong-gook goal was not enough to stop Korea Republic surprisingly slipping to a 3-1 loss at home to Costa Rica on Tuesday.
Last week had seen recently installed head coach Uli Stielike record his first win since taking charge of the Koreans, but two goals from Celso Borges provided the catalyst for the defeat which has put a dent in the German’s preparations for January’s AFC Asian Cup in Australia.
Borges opened the scoring at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium after 37 minutes, only for Lee Dong-gook to level matters on the stroke of half-time.
The Korean joy was short-lived however, as Borges duly grabbed his second of the night two minutes after the break.
Oscar Duarte effectively ended the game as a contest when he netted with only 12 minutes remaining to leave Korea Republic with much to ponder before November friendlies against Jordan and Iran.
The Koreans will then head Down Under to open their AFC Asian Cup 2015 campaign against Group A rivals Oman on January 10.
Photo: AFP