Kim Bo-kyung saved Korea’s U23 team from a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia, smashing a fierce volley to earn a 1-1 draw in the Asian qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics on Sunday.

Kim, who plays with Cerezo Osaka in Japan, scored the equalizer in the dying minutes of the game to earn a crucial point for the visiting side at Prince Stadium in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, having drawn one and lost two of its previous three matches, went into the match desperate to keep its hopes alive for a berth to the London Games.

The home side had its first chance nine minutes into the game with a fierce long-range shot from striker Mohammed Salim Al Safri, only to be denied by a brilliant save from keeper Lee Bum-young.

Korea came close to scoring in the 34th minute when defender Hong Jeong-ho’s header hit the crossbar.

But after a goalless first half, substitute Omar Khudari grabbed the home side’s lead in the 60th minute. Goalkeeper Lee managed to block Khudari’s header inside the box, but he tapped in the rebound.

Thanks to his goal, Saudi Arabia looked like it was on its way to secure its first victory in the third round of the Asian qualifier.

However, the 23-year-old midfielder Kim leveled the score in the 90th minute with his acrobatic volley just inside the penalty box to save the Korean side from a shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia, which might have put its Olympic campaign in jeopardy.

“It was a difficult game. Playing an away game gave us extra pressure, so we couldn’t play our game,” Kim said after the match. But he added that he was happy to help his side keep their lead in Group A.

With two games remaining in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, Korea is at the top of Group A with eight points, just one point ahead of Oman.

Qatar, which drew 2-2 with Oman on Sunday, is in third with three points, followed by Saudi Arabia with two.

Twelve teams are divided into three groups with the winner of each group heading directly to the London Olympics in July. The runners-up will have a playoff series in March, then the overall winner of that series will meet a representative from the Confederation of African Football qualifiers and play for the final berth.

Korea U23 team manager Hong Myung-bo revealed earlier that he is looking to win a medal at the 2012 London Olympics, but Sunday’s match proved that he still needs to work hard, especially on offense.

Hong’s side can cement its place at the top of Group A and secure an Olympic berth should it prevail in a crucial away match against Oman on Feb. 22.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)