Algeria’s Islam Slimani starts onslaught to put game beyond South Korea

Algeria stand on the verge of qualification from the World Cup’s opening group stage for the first time in their history after producing a first-half display of pace, commitment and no little quality from which Korea, despite eventually improving upon their initial haplessness, could not hope to recover.

The only other occasion when Algeria looked capable of getting out of their group, in 1982, their progress was halted only by an infamous contrived 1-0 victory for West Germany over Austria, which sent both European sides through at their expense. This time they can look forward to facing Russia in the knowledge that unless Korea convincingly beat Belgium, a possibility that on this evidence appears impossibly remote, a draw will be enough to guarantee them a place in the knock-out stage.

The Algeria manager VahidHalilhodzic made six significant changes to the side that started their opening match against Belgium – five players and one totally transformed attitude. In that 2-1 defeat to the overwhelming group favourites, the first-half penalty successfully converted by SofianeFeghouli was one of only three shots the team mustered all game, and the only one on target. It took them nine minutes to outdo that performance in Porto Alegre, by which time they had created four shooting opportunities and had a decent penalty claim, when Kim Young-gwon’s imprecise attempt to tackle Feghouli went unpunished perhaps because of the Algerian’s overly theatrical reaction.

Korea’s first-half display ranged from the uncomfortable to the incompetent. On the 12th anniversary of their most famous victory, over Spain on home ground in the 2002 quarter-finals, came perhaps their most embarrassing defeat. Last year Kim’s club manager at Guangzhou Evergrande, Marcello Lippi, suggested the defender “could definitely play for Manchester United”, which on this performance is either the most savage indictment yet of the English club’s recent decline or a statement of ludicrous inaccuracy.

After 26 minutes Carl Medjani sent a long pass looping over the Korean defence and the effervescent Islam Slimani slipped between Kim and his central defensive partner Hong Jeong-ho, outpaced both over a 40-yard foot-race and dinked the ball over Jung Sung-ryong, who stayed rooted to his line throughout, from six yards.

Over 12 minutes Algeria proceeded to score more goals than they had in their last seven World Cup matches, stretching back 28 years, combined. First RafikHalliche headed in from a corner, helped by Jung’s reckless rush from his line. Then in the 38th minute another long ball from defence found both Kim and Hong marking AbdelmoumeneDjabou, and when it fell to Slimani both rushed to close him down. This allowed the forward to slip the ball back to the now-unmarked Djabou, who scored with a first-time left-foot shot from 12 yards.

Korea’s very few first-half attacks consisted of half-hearted crosses easily headed away by the Algeria defence or punched clear by their goalkeeper, but five minutes into the second half they found a foothold in the match with a goal that fittingly featured a little haplessness in the build-up. Son Heung-min controlled a long ball forward with his back while looking in the wrong direction, but reacted impressively to spin and slot it through RaisMbolhi’s legs with his left foot.

The Asian side swiftly brought on the 6ft 5in Kim Shin-wook, which at least gave them a chance of profiting from those half-hearted crosses. But it was Algeria who scored next, improvising the finest goal of the game on the break as Feghouli carried the ball from the half-way line, passed to YacineBrahimi, accepted the return, gave it back again and the Granada player controlled well before shooting past Jung.

Five minutes later Korea reduced the arrears once again, Koo Ja-Cheol turning in Lee Keun-ho’s driven centre, but though Algeria suffered from both tiredness and tension thereafter their supremacy was rarely threatened.

Source;The Guardian

Compiled by:M.D