About 4,000 people jammed into Seoul’s KT Plaza, bobbing up and down as one. Not far away others sat on the median of a major road, their eyes transfixed on yet another of the jumbo video screens erected all over town.
The looks of ecstasy on their faces were unmistakable. They could hardly believe it. South Korea had come from behind and was leading mighty France, the world champions, 2-1 at halftime Sunday night in the last exhibition game before the start of the World Cup.
France collected itself, tied it early in the second half on Christophe Dugarry’s goal and got an 89th-minute goal from Frank Leboef to escape with a 3-2 win. But the fans applauded. South Korea’s team showed it was ready for the World Cup, which starts Friday.
“This game gave us the confidence that we could stand up to world soccer powers,” said Park Ji-sung, who scored South Korea’s first goal.
Sunday’s game at Suwon Stadium–where the United States meets Portugal on June 5 in the Americans’ opener–gave South Korea hope it wouldn’t be the first host eliminated in the first round.
Last year France routed South Korea 5-0 at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
“The team is much stronger,” said Lee Young-pyo, whose free kick led to a South Korean goal. “If it makes up for some defects, we may be able to make a good performance at the finals.”
– At Kobe, Japan, David Beckham, sidelined since April 10 with a broken left foot, took part in warmups before England’s exhibition with Cameroon.
“We think–we hope–that he will be fit for Sunday,” England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said, looking ahead to his team’s opener against Sweden.
– FIFA’s executive committee banned tank-top uniforms, what one nation wore at the African Cup of Nations. It also refused to let Argentina not assign No. 10–the number worn for years by Diego Maradona.
– Organizers said a man posing as a reporter for the British newspaper Sunday Mirror tricked South Korea’s organizing committee into issuing credentials that would allow him into World Cup games. Police said a special task force was trying to find the man.
