After 56 Years, Korean Olympic Soccer Hopes to Advance to Quarterfinals

The Korean Olympic soccer team beat Mexico and came a step closer to advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time in 56 years. On August 15 in the second game of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games men’s’ soccer tournament group A held in Karaiskaki Stadium, Korea prevailed over Mexico 1-0 with a mid-range goal from Kim Jung-woo (22, Ulsan Hyundai) in the 15th minute of the first half.

Now Korea, with a win and a draw, has four points, but is second behind Mali in its group, which on the same day beat home team Greece 2-0.

The Korean team can progress to the next round even if it draws with Mali, a match that will start at 2:30 a.m. on August 18.

The last time the Korean Olympic soccer team made it to the quarterfinals was in the 1948 London Olympics. Since then, Korea has been eliminated five times, all in the first round.

On the other hand, Choi Min-ho (24, Changwon Cycle Racing Corporation), who competed in the men’s Judo competition under 60kg lost to Tsagaanbaatart Khashbaatar of Mongolia in the quarterfinals, but managed to beat Iranian Haji Akhondzade Masoud by throwing him and win the bronze medal--the first medal for Korea in the 2004 Olympics.

In the medal standings, China took first place by taking gold medals in shooting and diving.