BRISBANE, Australia (Yonhap) ― Only last month, South Korean forward Lee Jeong-hyeop had been almost unknown in international football.

After netting the winner in South Korea’s 1-0 victory over host Australia at the AFC Asian Cup on Saturday, the 23-year-old is about to become a tad more famous.

The win clinched the top seed in Group A for South Korea, which will travel to Melbourne to face the yet-to-determined runner-up from Group B in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Lee was the most surprising selection by head coach Uli Stielike when the 23-man roster was announced last month.

Lee had never played for South Korea in any age group, and had put together a largely unimpressive career in the domestic K League Classic, with only six goals in 52 career matches.

Needing a big-bodied, front-line striker in lieu of injured veterans Lee Dong-gook and Kim Shin-wook, Stielike rolled the dice with the 186-centimeter-tall Lee.

The coach said he was impressed with the young forward after watching him in five matches. 

The move paid almost immediate dividends. Lee came off the bench against Saudi Arabia in South Korea’s last pre-Asian Cup match on Jan. 4, and scored the team’s second goal in the 2-0 win.

Lee didn’t start South Korea’s first two matches in the tournament and did little when he stepped in as a second-half substitute.

Still, Stielike gave Lee a starting nod against Australia, with the top seed in the group at stake, and Lee responded with the timely goal on Saturday.

With Lee starting and playing the entire match against Australia, Lee Keun-ho was dropped back to the secondary line of offense.

Cho Young-cheol, the team’s third forward, watched the victory from the bench.

Lee Jeong-hyeop had never played the full 90 minutes internationally until Saturday.

After a strong performance here, Lee may get another opportunity to start ― and possibly to become even more famous ― in the quarters.

Lee said after the match the victory and his goal still hadn’t hit him.

“I am happy that my first international start ended with a victory,” Lee said with a smile.

“I hadn’t played full matches with my club (Sangju Sangmu) and I never thought I’d stay on for the whole match today. I couldn’t really show that I was exhausted because everyone else was running on fumes.”

Lee took some criticism after the Oman match after he elected to send a poor cross instead of taking the shot on a breakaway opportunity. He said Saturday’s goal was a major confidence boost.

“I saw Lee Keun-ho coming down the left side and just threw my body out in front,” Lee said. “Luckily, the pass went in off my foot. I am pleased to have atoned for that mistake I had against Oman.”

National team set for travel day

With the top seed in Group A secured at the AFC Asian Cup, South Korea is scheduled to travel to Melbourne, the site of its quarterfinals match later in the week.

The kickoff for that quarterfinals match will be 6:30 p.m. Thursday, or 4:30 p.m. in Seoul, at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

China has won Group B, with Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan battling for second place.

Head coach Uli Stielike scheduled a recovery training session in the morning here before flying to Melbourne to make sure the players would be stretched and loose.

The players who took the field against Australia stayed at the team hotel for swimming and light walking.

Other players went through light drills at the team’s training facility, the Queensland Sports and Athletic Center.

Stielike will be carrying a banged-up squad with him to the knockout stage. South Korea has already lost winger Lee Chung-yong for the tournament to a broken leg, and a handful of players had bouts of colds that kept them out of the lineup in the second group match against Kuwait last week.

Stielike received even more bad news Sunday, as midfielder Koo Ja-cheol was ruled out of the tournament with a torn ligament in his right elbow.

Koo was one of two South Koreans who went down in a hard-fought ― at times chippy ― match against Australia on Saturday.

Park Joo-ho took an elbow to the face in midair while battling for a loose ball in the first half. After leaving the field with a nosebleed, Park came back to play for a few more minutes but was eventually replaced by Han Kook-young. Park showed symptoms of a concussion during the match, according to national team officials.

In the opening moments of the second half, Koo fell awkwardly on his right forearm after an aerial battle for the ball and was stretchered off in obvious pain.

After the match Saturday, team officials said Koo hadn’t suffered a fracture or a dislocation.

Then an MRI on Sunday showed that he had a tear in his right elbow ligament.

Koo was the leading scorer of the 2011 Asian Cup and was named the Player of the Match against Oman in South Korea’s first group match on Jan. 10.

Separately, defensive back Kim Ju-young sprained an ankle at recent practice and is hoping to be available for the quarterfinals.

“These are professional athletes, and there’s plenty of time to recover and get ready (for the quarters),” Stielike said after the match Saturday.

“The players will have to work until they’re 100 percent, and the key is to stay in top shape.”

The team’s injury situation has forced Stielike to constantly tinker with his lineup.