Its official….

South Korea and Japan both qualified for the knockout stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup!!   Although this represents the first time that these two Asian powers have qualified for the knockout stages of a world cup on foreign soil, it is certain that both teams will be pushing for further glory in the cup competition.  Lets review the match-ups!

South Korea – Stylish & Incisive

Next Opponent:

Uruguay – Lead by the lethal strike force of Deigo Forlan (Athletico Madrid) and Luis Suarez (Ajax), the blues will not be an easy opponent for the Koreans.  However, Park Ji Sung & crew should be happy that their opponents have not advanced outside of the round of 16 since 1970, so if anything, experience is definitely on the Korean half of the pitch.  A win for the Koreans will set up a delicious (and very winnable) quarterfinal match against the winner of the USA – Ghana, which means that a repeat semi-final berth is not out of reach for the Red Devils.  Given that the Koreans had to defeat traditional football super powers Spain & Italy in their magical run to the 2002 WC semifinals… the Red Devils are definitely a team to watch out for.

Predicted Path to the Cup:

Uruguay (Round of 16)

USA (Quarterfinals)

Brazil (Semifinals)

Spain (Finals)

Japan – Consistent & Explosive

Next Opponent:

Paraguay – Although not a traditional football powerhouse, Paraguay is an experienced side to be reckoned with.  Having actually qualified for the World Cup ahead of traditional South American powers Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, Paraguay won their World Cup group and earned qualification to the knockout stages for the 3rd time in the last 4 Cup competitions.  Although the fearless Blue Samurai can count themselves as lucky not to have drawn a tougher opponent, progression to the quarterfinals will not be easy.

Predicted Path to the Cup:

Paraguay (Round of 16)

Spain (Quarterfinals)

Argentina (Semifinals)

Brazil (Finals)

Signing off for another week – I’ll leave you with a classic Korean football advert… starring none other than the one and only, Ji Sung Park

And of course, the making of the Legend