Korea Republic have reached the halfway point in the final round of qualifying, with a victory over the United Arab Emirates in front of a record crowd at home.

Hwang Heechan scored the only goal of the game from the spot, as Paulo Bento’s side edged the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in their fifth match of Group A in the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Goyang Stadium on Thursday.

The hosts secured all three points to record 11 points (three wins and two draws), before travelling to Doha, Qatar to face Iraq on Tuesday.

The match on Thursday evening marked the first time that the stadium was open to full capacity since the COVID-19 outbreak, two years after the EAFF E-1 Championship in December 2019.

Fans flocked to the stadium three hours before the kick-off, as the waves of supporters wearing the infamous Red Devil hairbands entered through the turnstiles. Although the chants were prohibited inside the stadium to prevent any further infections, a 30,152 strong crowd made some serious noise with the clappers to root for the Taegeuk Warriors.

Bento opted for Cho Guesung and Kwon Kyungwon to fill the gap left by Hwang Uijo and Kim Younggwon respectively. Cho started up front in place of Hwang, flanked by Son Heungmin and Hwang Heechan. Lee Jaesung, Jung Wooyoung and Hwang Inbeom were deployed in the shape of a reversed triangle in midfield. Kim Jinsu, Kwon, Kim Minjae and Lee Yong at the back; Kim Seunggyu between the sticks.

The Taegeuk Warriors made their intentions clear from the outset, surging forward to seize control in the early exchanges. Son hit the side netting after collecting a fine lob from Hwang Inbeom after just six minutes.

The hosts kept up the pressure from then on, with Cho looking dangerous in front of the Emiratis goal in his third international appearance. The Jeonbuk striker smashed the left post with a scorcher from 20 yards on 15 minutes.

After a series of missed opportunities, the hosts finally opened the deadlock on 36 minutes. Hwang Inbeom was brought down on the right side of the area, as the referee blew the whistle without hesitating a second. Hwang Heechan stepped up for the resulting penalty, which he calmly converted into the lower right-hand corner of the net.

Son then stole the show with a fantastic solo effort on the stroke of half time, as the Tottenham star slalomed through the opposition rearguard before firing a low shot that hit the left post.

The hosts picked up where they had left off after the restart, but the goal they needed proved elusive. Son twice came tantalisingly close to doubling the advantage midway through the second half, glancing a point-blank header off a Kim Jinsu cross straight into the crossbar.

Bento brought Song Minkyu on for Cho on 76 minutes, as Son moved up front as a lone striker – a typical attacking switch the coach has made over the course of the final round of qualifying. However, Son could not convert a couple of clear-cut chances in the closing minutes, as the captain failed to extend his scoring streak to three matches.

AFC Asian Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Final Round

Group A

Korea Republic 1-0 United Arab Emirates

Scorer: Hwang Heechan 36’ (pen)

KOR: Kim Seunggyu; Lee Yong, Kim Minjae (Park Jisu 81’), Kwon Kyuungwon, Kim Jinsu; Jung Wooyoung, Lee Jaesung, Hwang Inbeom; Hwang Heechan, Cho Guesung (Song Minkyu 76’), Son Heungmin