The Korea Herald

지나쌤

S. Korea pound Laos 8-0 in World Cup qualifier

By 안성미

Published : Sept. 3, 2015 - 22:07

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 Newest Tottenham Hotspur winger Son Heung-min scored his first international hat trick, as merciless South Korea beat up on Laos 8-0 in their World Cup qualifier at home Thursday for their second straight victory in the regional qualification stage.   


Son Heung-min gestures after scoring his first international hat trick, as merciless South Korea beat up on Laos 8-0 in their World Cup qualifier at home Thursday for their second straight victory in the regional qualification stage. (Yonhap) Son Heung-min gestures after scoring his first international hat trick, as merciless South Korea beat up on Laos 8-0 in their World Cup qualifier at home Thursday for their second straight victory in the regional qualification stage. (Yonhap)

  
The 57th-ranked South Korea utterly dominated the 174th-ranked Laos at Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, delighting 30,000 fans on hand on a cool late summer evening.
  
In addition to Son's three goals, Kwon Chang-hoon scored twice, with Lee Chung-yong, Suk Hyun-jun and Lee Jae-sung adding a goal apiece. South Korea improved their all-time record against Laos to 4-0. In those four victories, South Korea have scored 23 goals and given up none.
  
The hapless visiting players barely touched the ball, let alone mounting counterattacks, in the face of the South Korean onslaught.

This was South Korea's largest victory in 19 matches under head coach Uli Stielike, whose record improved to 13 wins, three draws, three losses.
  
South Korea have now won both of their matches in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, after their 2-0 win over Myanmar in June. South Korea will next travel to Lebanon for another qualifier next Tuesday.
  
There are eight groups of five nations in the second round. The eight group winners, along with four best runners-up, will advance to the third round.

South Korea have played in the past eight World Cup finals.
  
As expected, South Korea were all over Laos from the get-go.

The home side wasted little time sending a message, as Lee Chung-yong headed in the opening goal in the ninth minute.
  
After taking a pass from Jung Woo-young, left fullback Hong Chul sped down the left flank and penetrated deep into the Laos zone, sending a cross that was redirected in by Lee from the penalty mark.
  
It was Lee's first international goal since November 2013.
  
Hong also assisted on South Korea's second goal two minutes later, again using his speed to create space on the left side and setting up Son Heung-min virtually untouched in the point-blank range.
  
Midfielder Jung Woo-young tried to join the fray, but hit the left post with his free kick attempt in the 23rd minute. Three minutes later, Jung again hit the left post, as his mid-range strike went off nearly the same spot that kept out his earlier free kick.
  
Fellow midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon finally put South Korea up 3-0, scoring his first international goal with a curling shot at the half-hour mark.
  
Kwon nearly had his second of the night 10 minutes later, but goalkeeper Phoutpasong Sengdalavong made a fine save, diving to his left to deny the South Korean.
  
It was much the same story in the second half. Hong Chul recorded his third assist of the night in the 57th, setting up Suk Hyun-jun for the striker's first international goal that made it 4-0.
  
The fifth goal came in the 73rd minute, as Son scored from a tough angle for his second of the night. Two minutes later, Kwon also picked up his second goal with a thunderous volley.
  
Kwon blew a chance at a hat trick, though, airmailing a shot in the 78th minute.
  
Son beat Kwon to the trick, scoring on a breakaway in the 89th minute. Substitute Lee Jae-sung rounded out the scoring in the final seconds.
  
South Korean goalkeeper Kwoun Sun-tae, making his international debut, barely broke a sweat and was the only man in the South Korean half of the pitch for most of the match. (Yonhap)