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 France held after dominating Korea
LEIPZIG, Germany -- Park Ji-sung's 81st minute goal gave South Korea an unexpected point after they had been almost totally outplayed by France in a Group G World Cup encounter in Leipzig. France, who had made a really bright start and should have been more than 1-0 up at the break, are now by no means certain to qualify for the knockout stages. They are two points behind the Koreans and will trail Switzerland by the same margin if the Swiss beat Togo on Monday. Yet for most of the game anything but a French win looked extremely unlikely. After their lackluster 0-0 draw with Switzerland France seemed a revived side as they attacked with menace and easily contained the Koreans' raids. In the seventh minute Thierry Henry's deft pass found Sylvain Wiltord, who was thwarted by advancing goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, playing his 99th international, but two minutes later the French scored their first goal at a World Cup finals since 1998. Henry's superb anticipation meant that he was in exactly the right spot to after Wiltord forced the ball into the goalmouth. The Arsenal striker controlled the ball with his right foot and swept it past Woon-jae with his left for his 34th goal in 80 internationals. The South Koreans could make little headway as the French defense blocked off the majority of hopeful balls played up to the front three attackers. France were desperately unlucky not to be awarded a second goal in the 32nd minute when, tv replays showed, Woon-jae could only get his right hand to a powerful header from Vieira when the ball was well over the line. As the ball came out the Mexican referee penalized Maloude for a foul as he followed up. The South Koreans mustered only one threatening effort before the break, when Lee Young-pyu's curling free kick from the right eluded everyone and went past the far post. One-sidedDespite the narrow margin it was looking one of the most one-sided games of the competition yet, but gradually a lethargy crept into the French play. They were eventually punished when Cho Jae-jin headed across the goalmouth and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, a spectator for most of the game, flapped weakly at Park's nodded effort and the ball crept inside an upright. With five minutes left Zinedine Zidane received his second yellow card of the finals and will miss the clash with Togo as a result. Deflated France had to survive several anxious moments as the delighted Koreans pressed strongly in the closing stages. 
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