Lively Korea hold England

Injury-hit England had to settle for a 1-1 draw with World Cup co-hosts South Korea in a pre-tournament friendly on Tuesday. Captain Michael Owen scored in a 25th-minute goalmouth melee, but after manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made seven halftime changes his team were pegged back by Park Ji-Sung’s 52nd minute header. England, playing an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation and with four players out through injury, had the mobile South Koreans under control in the first half. But the wholesale substitutions tore all shape from their game in the second and they had to withstand a late charge from the hosts on Cheju island.

“I know that we can play better but it’s in 12-13 days (time) that we need to play very good football,” said Eriksson, whose team open their group F campaign against Sweden in Japan on June 2. In the first half we did rather a good job but second half we complicated life a little bit. But that’s okay, we’ve only been here for a couple of days,” Eriksson told Sky Sports television. “Korea were a very aggressive team, very good on the ball and I think they could cause a small surprise in the tournament. They play good football.” Eriksson, who must submit his final 23-man squad list to world body FIFA by the deadline of midnight Zurich time on Tuesday, said he had picked up no new injury worries, although midfielder Owen Hargreaves had “a slight knock” to his knee. I don’t think it’s anything serious at all,” Eriksson said.

England’s first real chance came after 14 minutes when Hargreaves, impressive in central midfield, sent a long ball forward for Owen. The skipper’s flick wide of the keeper found Darius Vassell, but the Aston Villa striker’s effort under pressure was cleared off the line by Choi Jin-Cheul. The breakthrough came after Owen started a three-man move on the edge of the area, with Emile Heskey picking out Paul Scholes for a shot which the keeper parried — only for the Liverpool striker to bundle the ball home. Owen had also opened the scoring in his previous match as stand-in captain for the injured David Beckham, last month’s 4-0 friendly win over Paraguay at Anfield. Tuesday’s strike took his career tally for England to 15 goals in 34 games. Unable to make much impression on England’s rearguard, South Korea resorted to shooting from outside the area.

(Reuters)