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Perlawanan Piala Dunia Korea Selatan menentang Argentina pada 17 Jun 2010, umpama menyaksikan perlawanan ulangan antara jurulatih Korea, Huh Jung Moo vs jurulatih Argentina, Diego Maradona yang berlangsung 24 tahun lalu. Pada 1986, South Korea menentang Argentina dalam perlawanan Piala Dunia di Mexico yang mana Maradona telah membantu Argentina menjulang Piala Dunia.

Keputusan perlawanan, Korea dikalahkan Argentina 4-1.

Artikel dibawah dipetik dari The Hankyoreh, an independent newspaper in Korea menarik untuk menerangkan keadaan ini.

Coaches prepare for match up in S.Korea-Argentina game

This marks the first time in 24 years that Huh Jung-moo and Diego Maradona have met on the pitch

» Huh Jeong-moo

South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo, 55, and Argentina coach Diego Maradona, 50, will have the opportunity to meet on the pitch for the first time in 24 years. Their memories of one another are not especially picturesque.

In a Group A match during the 1986 Mexico World Cup, Huh, then a player, let fly a “low kick” at Maradona, also then a player. When Maradona, then the world’s top attacker, whipped up the Korean camp, midfielder Huh kicked Maradon’s legs above the knee rather than the ball. Maradona rolled around on the pitch several times after Huh’s tough tackles, and Huh’s game gained the unwelcome nickname of “taekwondo football” from the foreign press.

During the match, Argentina secured a convincing 3-1 win. Moreover, Huh’s South Korean team tasted the bitterness of an early trip home with a draw and two losses, while Maradona gave Argentina a World Cup victory with a goal on a 60-meter run, the longest in the history of football.

This time, the two meet in a match of “resourcefulness” in their second matches of the South Africa World Cup. The two coaches, both coaching World Cup teams for the first time, earned victories in their first game matches against Greece and Nigeria, respectively. The team that wins is assured a spot in the Round of 16.

Both coaches prefer a 4-4-2 formation, but it appears former midfield Huh will go with counterattacks against the favorite Argentina based on a strong midfield, including Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung. Maradona has shown a fearful attack lead by the world’s most aggressive forward Lionel Messi, 23, Barcelona.

» Diego Maradona

Huh, a model student, acknowledges his team’s disadvantage in terms of objective strength, but based on the high spirits following the first World Cup victory as a South Korean coach, he is not prepared to back down easily. After leading his team to victory against Greece, Huh said he expects a challenging match against Argentina, as it is a strong team composed of good players and considered a tournament favorite. Huh also said his team would not be daunted and that they would play their kind of game.

Maradona, still known as a “bad boy” even at 50 years of age, has not said a great deal in particular about the match against South Korea. After his victory against Nigeria, he said the win would have a good impact in the next match (against Korea). Already looking forward to the championship game, he said for his side to play a full seven matches (to the title match), many things needed to improve.

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