Uruguay vs South Korea – Koreans set to learn about deja vu
Published:One suspects Uruguay weren’t expecting to be the glamour name of the 2010 World Cup knockout stages opening day. But when they kick off the Round of 16 against South Korea tomorrow afternoon at 3pm, that is exactly what they will be.
Yet to concede a goal, Uruguay are hot favourites to beat a South Korea side playing its first knockout match on foreign soil. If you fancy their defensive hot streak to continue, the Uruguayan clean sheet is available at 11/10.
The South Americans are unbeaten in all five of their meetings with the Koreans, most recently winning 2-0 in Seoul three years ago. Their only previous fixture at the World Cup was in the group stages of Italia 90, when an injury-time winner from Daniel Fonseca proved enough against the ten men of South Korea. The manager of Uruguay back then was, as now, Oscar Tabarez.
So if you fancy history to repeat itself for Tabarez, the same scoreline (1-0) is available at 9/2, whilst another sending off can be backed at 12/5.
Impressive in their opener against Greece, the Koreans looked weak at the back against both Argentina and Nigeria. Uruguay by contrast have whizzed through their three matches untroubled, and have looked pretty impenetrable in defence.
Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan have grabbed the headlines thus far, but it may be the third leg of the Uruguayan offensive triangle, Edison Cavani, who is due a goal. He is 8/1 to open the scoring.
How do you see this second round curtain-raiser going? It would take a brave man to bet against Uruguay, and they can be backed at 7/1 to win 2-1. See the full Uruguay vs South Korea betting market.
