(Reuters) – South Korea threw away a two-goal halftime lead to share a 2-2 draw with Colombia in Ulsan on Friday in coach Juergen Klinsmann’s first game in charge of the Taeguk Warriors.
Son Heung-min scored twice to give the Koreans a comfortable lead at the interval but two goals in four minutes after the restart from James Rodriguez and Jorge Carrascal earned the Colombians a draw.
Son put his scoring difficulties for Tottenham Hotspur behind him to give the Koreans the lead in the 10th minute, capitalising on his side winning possession deep inside the Colombian half to net from distance.
His second was even more impressive as last year’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League bent a dipping free kick past Camilo Vargas from 25 yards with his right foot.
Rodriguez pulled one back for the Colombians within a minute of the restart when he slotted in Diego Valoyes’ cutback from the right and Carrascal swept in the equaliser three minutes later.
Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu almost won the game for the Koreans with two minutes remaining, only to see his goal-bound effort cleared by the Colombia defence with Vargas absent.
The Koreans will host Uruguay in Seoul on Tuesday in Klinsmann’s second game in charge while the Colombians will travel to Osaka to take on Japan.
(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Christian Radnedge)
