21 October 1960 - A Little Asian Cup Déjà Vu

On 21 October 1960, South Korea won their second consecutive Asian Cup, beating China 1-0.

It was the second edition of the tournament, with South Korea returning as defending champions after winning it in 1956. They were joined in 1960 by China, Vietnam, and Israel, the 1956 runners-up. Each team played the other team once, with the standings decided by points. Wins were worth two points and draws one.

South Korea opened the tournament with a powerful statement of intent by beating Vietnam 5-1, followed by a 3-0 win over Israel. They entered their last match in the top spot, two points clear of Israel and China (Vietnam was at the bottom). Israel, like South Korea, had only one match left, but China had two, including their game against South Korea. So while the Koreans needed only a draw to guarantee that they would finish over Israel, they needed a win to ensure a higher finish than China.

And they got it, narrowly. Playing before their own supporters at the Hyochang Stadium in Seoul, forward Moon Jung-Sik scored the day's only goal in the 54th minute. Israel again finished as runners-up, beating China 1-0 two days later in the final match of the tournament.

27 January 1976 - "Ruined" May Have Been Overstating Things A Bit

On 27 January 1976, South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan was born in Paju. He was once described as "the man who ruined Italian football."

He started his professional career in 1998 with Pusan Daewoo Royals, but moved to Italy in 2000 to play for Perugia, where he made a total of 33 appearances in two seasons and scored five goals. But it was the summer of 2002 that made him an international name, as he scored the golden goal for South Korea that eliminated Italy in the World Cup Round of 16. The day after the match, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled Ahn's contract, reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."

Gaucci later had a change of heart, but Ahn was so offended by the slight that he refused to consider a return. He moved instead to Shimizu S-Pulse for a season, starting a series of short stays that included spells at Yokohama (2004-05), Metz (2005-06), and Duisburg (2006), before returning to South Korea with Suwon Bluewings in 2006. Most recently, he played for Chinese side Dalian Shide from 2009 to 2011.

In the meantime, he continued to play for the South Korean national team, scoring 17 goals in 77 appearances before retiring in 2010.

7 March 1954 - There's Nothing Like A Little Motivation

On 7 March 1954, in their first-ever meeting, South Korea crushed Japan 1-5 in a World Cup qualifier in Tokyo.

It was a match that carried a lot of political tension. Though they were the only two members in their qualification group (after China withdrew), Korean president Syngman Rhee initially refused to sanction any game against Japan due to their actions against Korea in World War II. He eventually relented, but only in part. Instead of home and away matches as required by FIFA, he demanded that both matches be played in Japan so that no "past invader" would set foot on Korean soil. He also told the Korean players "Be prepared to throw yourselves in the ocean if you lose."

Thankfully for them, that was not required, though they may have been worried when Japan took a 16th-minute lead with a goal from Ken Naganuma. But Chung Nam-Sick equalized six minutes later and Korea never looked back, getting additional goals from Choi Kwang-Suk (34'), Sung Nak-Woon (65'), and Choi Jung-Min (82', 85').

They played again in Tokyo one week later. That match ended as a 2-2 draw, which was enough to send Korea to their first World Cup in Switzerland.

8 November 1946 - He Could Teach Carmen Sandiego A Thing Or Two

On 8 November 1946, Guus Hiddink was born in the Dutch town of Varsseveld. He would go on to become one of the world's most celebrated--if peripatetic--football managers.

He began and ended his 15-year playing career as a midfielder for Dutch side De Graafschap (1967-70, 1972-76, 1981-82), but also spent time with PSV Eindhoven (1970-72), the Washington Diplomats (1976), the San Jose Earthquakes (1977), and NEC (1978-81). Upon his retirement in 1982 from playing, he returned once more to De Graafschap, but as their manager. But he made his managerial name at PSV Eindhoven.

He moved to PSV in 1984 as an assistant coach, then took over the top job in 1987. In that first season as manager, he led PSV to the treble success of the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, and the European Cup. He followed with two more league titles and KNVB Cups in his next two seasons. Then, after short stints at Fenerbahçe (1990-91) and Valencia (1991-94), he took over the Dutch national team in 1995.

Despite success with the Dutch (finishing in 4th place at the 1998 World Cup), he did not stay long, starting a journey that would include spells with Real Madrid (1998-99), Real Betis (2000), South Korea (2000-02), a return to PSV (2002-06), Australia (2005-06), Russia (2006-10), and Chelsea (2009). He led both South Korea and Australia to their greatest World Cup successes (the semifinals in 2002 and the 2006 Round of 16, respectively). And on two occasions, he simultaneously managed a club and a country (PSV and Australia in 2005-06; Chelsea and Russia in 2009).

His most recent teams include Turkey (2010-11), Anzhi Makhachkala (2012-13), and the Netherlands (2014-15).

30 October 2008 - There Are Many Things I Can Do In 22 Seconds But This Isn't One Of Them

On 30 October 2008, Nigerian midfielder Soo Adekwagh got her team off to a blazing start against South Korea in the 2008 U-17 Women's World Cup by scoring after only 22 seconds.

Hosted by New Zealand, the 2008 tournament was the first FIFA-sponsored U-17 women's world championship. The tournament started two days earlier, but Nigeria and South Korea met on the first match day for Group D, which also included England and Brazil.

Playing before a crowd of 11,500 at Wellington Stadium, Nigeria kicked off. Adekwagh (pictured, right) received the ball and fired a dipping shot toward goal. The ball surprised Korea's keeper, Lee Hyo Ju, who was unable to prevent it from going into the net. At 22 seconds, the goal bettered the previous record of 30 seconds, set by Sweden's Lena Videkull in 1991, as the fastest goal in FIFA women's history. 

Nigeria proceeded to win the match 2-1, but were eliminated in the group stage after a loss to England and a draw with Brazil. South Korea rallied to win the group, but were themselves ousted by the United States in the first knockout round.

18 June 2002 - Ahn Top Of The World

On 18 June 2002, World Cup co-hosts South Korea upset Italy 2-1 in a Round of 16 match before a crowd of 38,588 at South Korea's Daejeon World Cup Stadium.

With three minutes of regulation time remaining, Italy looked certain to advance, holding a 1-0 lead earned with an 18th minute goal from veteran striker Christian Vieri. In the 88th minute, however, Italian defender Christian Panucci mishandled a pass, opening the door for Korean winger Seol Ki-Hyeon, who scored the equalizer.

The late goal shocked the Azzurri and sent the match to extra time. The situation worsened for Italy in the first period of added time, as midfielder Francesco Totti received a second yellow card for an apparent dive and was sent off in the 105th minute.

As the match entered the final minutes of extra time and appeared to be headed for penalties, Korean midfielder Ahn Jung-Hwan scored a header in the 117th minute to give the Korean side the victory. The goal was redemptive for Ahn, whose penalty kick in the 5th minute was saved by Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Ahn was also the only member of the Korean side to play his club football in Italy, at the time on loan with AC Perugia. The day after the match, Perugia canceled Ahn's contract, with Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football." The club quickly apologized and offered to purchase Ahn's contract, but he declined and moved to Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse.

South Korea followed their epic win with an equally-historic victory over Spain on penalties. They then lost to Germany, but finished the tournament in fourth place.

21 September 2010 - Maybe There Was Something To That Conspiracy Theory After All

On 21 September 2010, former World Cup referee Byron Moreno was arrested in New York with ten pounds of heroin in his underwear.

Moreno had already become infamous for his performance at the 2002 World Cup when he refereed the Round of 16 meeting between Italy and co-hosts South Korea. The Koreans won the match in part due to several questionable calls that included Moreno's awarding them a controversial penalty, disallowing an Italian goal that would have won the game, and ejecting Francesco Totti with a second yellow card for diving. Afterward, both Totti and Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni claimed that FIFA had rigged the match to ensure that South Korea reached the quarterfinals as a reward for co-hosting the tournament.

Although FIFA denied any impropriety and took no action against Moreno at that time, they issued a 20-game suspension later that year after he impacted the result in an Ecuadorian match by improperly extending stoppage time, then falsifying the information in his official report. In May 2003, shortly after his return from suspension, he retired.

Then, in 2010, after arriving at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport from Ecuador, he was arrested when authorities found several bags of heroin stuffed down his pants. He pleaded guilty to smuggling charges and received a prison sentence of two and a half years.

3 June 1964 - The Third Time's The Charm

On 3 June 1964, hosts Israel won the AFC Asian Cup with a 1-2 win over two-time defending champions South Korea.

South Korea won the first two Asian Cups in 1956 and 1960, with Israel finishing as runners-up both times. But by the time the two teams met in 1964, the Koreans were already out of contention after a loss to India in their opening match--their first loss in all three tournaments. India went on to finish with four points on 2 June, putting them level with Israel who had a game in hand and needed only a draw against South Korea to secure the title.

Playing at Ramat Gan Stadium near Tel Aviv, Israel defender Moshe Leon put the hosts up 1-0 in the 20th minute, then Gideon Tish doubled their lead eighteen minutes later. Huh Yoon-Jung scored for South Korea in the 79th minute, but they were unable to find another goal.

The win gave Israel a total of six points and their first Asian Cup title. It would also be their last, as they finished third in 1968, then withdrew from the competition in 1972 before being leaving the confederation in 1974.

21 October 1960 - A Little Asian Cup Déjà Vu

On 21 October 1960, South Korea won their second consecutive Asian Cup, beating China 1-0.

It was the second edition of the tournament, with South Korea returning as defending champions after winning it in 1956. They were joined in 1960 by China, Vietnam, and Israel, the 1956 runners-up. Each team played the other team once, with the standings decided by points. Wins were worth two points and draws one.

South Korea opened the tournament with a powerful statement of intent by beating Vietnam 5-1, followed by a 3-0 win over Israel. They entered their last match in the top spot, two points clear of Israel and China (Vietnam was at the bottom). Israel, like South Korea, had only one match left, but China had two, including their game against South Korea. So while the Koreans needed only a draw to guarantee that they would finish over Israel, they needed a win to ensure a higher finish than China.

And they got it, narrowly. Playing before their own supporters at the Hyochang Stadium in Seoul, forward Moon Jung-Sik scored the day's only goal in the 54th minute. Israel again finished as runners-up, beating China 1-0 two days later in the final match of the tournament.

7 March 1954 - There's Nothing Like A Little Motivation

On 7 March 1954, in their first-ever meeting, South Korea crushed Japan 1-5 in a World Cup qualifier in Tokyo.

It was a match that carried a lot of political tension. Though they were the only two members in their qualification group (after China withdrew), Korean president Syngman Rhee initially refused to sanction any game against Japan due to their actions against Korea in World War II. He eventually relented, but only in part. Instead of home and away matches as required by FIFA, he demanded that both matches be played in Japan so that no "past invader" would set foot on Korean soil. He also told the Korean players "Be prepared to throw yourselves in the ocean if you lose."

Thankfully for them, that was not required, though they may have been worried when Japan took a 16th-minute lead with a goal from Ken Naganuma. But Chung Nam-Sick equalized six minutes later and Korea never looked back, getting additional goals from Choi Kwang-Suk (34'), Sung Nak-Woon (65'), and Choi Jung-Min (82', 85').

They played again in Tokyo one week later. That match ended as a 2-2 draw, which was enough to send Korea to their first World Cup in Switzerland.

27 January 1976 - "Ruined" May Have Been Overstating Things A Bit

On 27 January 1976, South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan was born in Paju. He was once described as "the man who ruined Italian football."

He started his professional career in 1998 with Pusan Daewoo Royals, but moved to Italy in 2000 to play for Perugia, where he made a total of 33 appearances in two seasons and scored five goals. But it was the summer of 2002 that made him an international name, as he scored the golden goal for South Korea that eliminated Italy in the World Cup Round of 16. The day after the match, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled Ahn's contract, reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."

Gaucci later had a change of heart, but Ahn was so offended by the slight that he refused to consider a return. He moved instead to Shimizu S-Pulse for a season, starting a series of short stays that included spells at Yokohama (2004-05), Metz (2005-06), and Duisburg (2006), before returning to South Korea with Suwon Bluewings in 2006. Most recently, he played for Chinese side Dalian Shide from 2009 to 2011.

In the meantime, he continues to play for the South Korean national team, scoring 17 goals in 77 appearances.

8 November 1946 - He Could Teach Carmen Sandiego A Thing Or Two

On 8 November 1946, Guus Hiddink was born in the Dutch town of Varsseveld. He would go on to become one of the world's most celebrated--if peripatetic--football managers.

He began and ended his 15-year playing career as a midfielder for Dutch side De Graafschap (1967-70, 1972-76, 1981-82), but also spent time with PSV Eindhoven (1970-72), the Washington Diplomats (1976), the San Jose Earthquakes (1977), and NEC (1978-81). Upon his retirement in 1982 from playing, he returned once more to De Graafschap, but as their manager. But he made his managerial name at PSV Eindhoven.

He moved to PSV in 1984 as an assistant coach, then took over the top job in 1987. In that first season as manager, he led PSV to the treble success of the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, and the European Cup. He followed with two more league titles and KNVB Cups in his next two seasons. Then, after short stints at Fenerbahçe (1990-91) and Valencia (1991-94), he took over the Dutch national team in 1995.

Despite success with the Dutch (finishing in 4th place at the 1998 World Cup), he did not stay long, starting a journey that would include spells with Real Madrid (1998-99), Real Betis (2000), South Korea (2000-02), a return to PSV (2002-06), Australia (2005-06), Russia (2006-10), and Chelsea (2009). He led both South Korea and Australia to their greatest World Cup successes (the semifinals in 2002 and the 2006 Round of 16, respectively). And on two occasions, he simultaneously managed a club and a country (PSV and Australia in 2005-06; Chelsea and Russia in 2009).

In 2010, he moved to his current post in charge of Turkey's national team.

30 October 2008 - There Are Many Things I Can Do In 22 Seconds But This Isn't One Of Them

On 30 October 2008, Nigerian midfielder Soo Adekwagh got her team off to a blazing start against South Korea in the 2008 U-17 Women's World Cup by scoring after only 22 seconds.

Hosted by New Zealand, the 2008 tournament was the first FIFA-sponsored U-17 women's world championship. The tournament started two days earlier, but Nigeria and South Korea met on the first match day for Group D, which also included England and Brazil.

Playing before a crowd of 11,500 at Wellington Stadium, Nigeria kicked off. Adekwagh (pictured, right) received the ball and fired a dipping shot toward goal. The ball surprised Korea's keeper, Lee Hyo Ju, who was unable to prevent it from going into the net. At 22 seconds, the goal bettered the previous record of 30 seconds, set by Sweden's Lena Videkull in 1991, as the fastest goal in FIFA women's history.

Nigeria proceeded to win the match 2-1, but were eliminated in the group stage after a loss to England and a draw with Brazil. South Korea rallied to win the group, but were themselves ousted by the United States in the first knockout round.

Adekwagh currently plays for Bayelsa Queens, one of Nigeria's most successful women's clubs, and was a member of the Nigerian team that advanced to the Final of the 2010 U-20 Women's World Cup.