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South Korea stuns Portugal late to reach last 16, knock Uruguay out of World Cup

Alex Grimm / Getty Images Sport / Getty

There was another shocker at the 2022 World Cup as South Korea pipped Uruguay for a place in the round of 16.

South Korea went from the bottom of Group H to second place after Hwang Hee-chan's dramatic stoppage-time goal secured a stunning 2-1 victory over group winner Portugal on Friday.

South Korea sealed second place with a superior goals-scored record to Uruguay (4-2).

Son Heung-min was instrumental in the build-up to the goal. He dribbled into the Portugal end and delivered a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Hwang, who steered the ball beyond goalkeeper Diogo Costa with a composed strike in the 91st minute.

In the other Group H contest, Uruguay was on the brink of sealing a knockout stage berth, beating Ghana 2-0, before Hwang's goal. A third goal would've sent Uruguay to the round of 16, but Ghana did well to prevent the pressing South Americans from scoring late in the contest.

News of Hwang's goal quickly reached the Uruguay bench, where Luis Suarez, 35, struggled to hide his emotions. From the ecstasy of thinking Uruguay had advanced to the agony of an early departure in his last World Cup, Suarez was in tears after the final whistle sealed his country's fate.

It was a stunning turnaround for a South Korea side that many thought was destined for a group stage exit ahead of its clash with the 2016 European champions.

But, for the second day in a row, an Asian nation sent shockwaves through the World Cup with a massive upset. On Thursday, Japan beat a World Cup winner for the second time in 10 days after topping Spain to win Group E, which also featured 2014 World Cup winner Germany.

South Korea, a semifinalist in 2002, will meet the winner of Group G - which Brazil leads heading into its final group stage game - in the next round. The runner-up of that group will face Portugal in the round of 16.

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