(Football news) In the round of sixteen, the Socceroos defeated Indonesia 4-0 with great ease, and the Koreans tied Saudi Arabia 1-1 in stoppage time before winning 4-2 on penalties. 

The Australians managed to survive the first half of the match with some compact, incisive, and determined defending, but in their previous meeting, they flourished in the attacking third.

They scored four goals against Indonesia, which was the maximum they could mustered during the group stage and the second-most in an Asian Cup knockout match since they thrashed Uzbekistan 6-0 in the semi-finals in 2011.

Graham Arnold’s men are now unbeaten in eight successive matches in all competitions, outscoring their opponents 20-1 over that stretch.

Their round of 16 clash was the 50th game for Arnold as Socceroos boss, and the man who won two A-League titles as a manager has only suffered a combined seven defeats in his two stints as men’s national team coach.

Since making their debuts at the Asian Cup in 2011, Australia have only conceded a combined three goals in all of their knockout fixtures, never allowing more than one goal in a single game beyond the group stage.

They have not beaten South Korea since the 2015 Asian Cup, when they won a drama-filled final 2-1 in extra time on home soil, the one and only time that they have lifted this trophy.

In the end, the Koreans got what they deserved, firing eight shots on goal and ultimately breaking through. Friday will be their second consecutive trip to the quarterfinals of this competition; the Taegeuk Warriors had only one previous defeat at this stage of the competition, losing 1-0 to the eventual champions Qatar four years ago. 

A tenacious and determined South Korean team demonstrated incredible resilience in the final sixteen. They scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time and then maintained their composure from the penalty spot.

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