Koreans lead at half-time

South Korea 1, Poland 0 (half-time)

Hwang Sun-hong sent the whole of South Korea into ecstasy when he scored their first goal of the World Cup against Poland in the Asiad Stadium.

Hwang volleyed home on 26 minutes from Lee Eul-yong cross to get the co-host’s campaign off to a flying start.

Korea had carried the expectancy of the whole nation on their shoulders going into the Group D game.

Despite having never won any of their 14 World Cup games, the Koreans firmly believed coach Guus Hiddink could lead them to the last 16.

‘Hiddink! Make our dream come true!’ said one banner of the massed ranks of the Red Devils, as the Korean fans are called.

The players tried to do their part and skipper Hong Myung-bo’s shot deflected off Tomasz Waldoch and behind and when Song Chong-gug swung in the corner, Seol Ki-hyun bounced a header off the ground and into the arms of Liverpool’s Jerzy Dudek.

The pacy Emmanuel Olisadebe caused a rare moment of panic in the Korean box when he cut inside Hong only for the covering Choi Jin-chul to halt the Nigerian-born striker.

Korea continued to huff and puff and Yoo Sang-chul went closest yet to opening the scoring when he fired a 25-yard drive just wide of Dudek’s left-hand post.

The moment the whole of South Korea had been waiting for came on 26 minutes when Hwang scored - and what a goal it was too.

Lee crossed from the left and Hwang, who plays in the J-League for Kashiwa Reysol, met it first time with a left-foot volley which whizzed past Dudek, beating him at his near post.

The whole team, bar goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, sprinted to Hiddink and mobbed him on the touchline as the whole stadium erupted.

Yoo put the ball into the back of the net for what the Koreans thought was a second goal on 37 minutes, but the assistant referee already had his flag up for offside.