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By Yoon Chul
Staff reporter
Park Chu-young, arguably South Korea's best striker, finally proved his worth by scoring when it was needed the most in Tuesday's decisive match against Nigeria with a magical free kick that curled inside the Nigerian post for the team's second goal.
It was a happy end to a difficult few days for the 24-year-old AS Monaco player at the World Cup, after a nightmarish mistake in the second match against Argentina.
His first goal of his World Cup career, was an own goal, as a free kick from Lionel Messi deflected off his shin and rolled into the net. To make matters worse, he failed to impress against the Argentinean defenders.
Park's performance had been better against Greece, but his efforts didn't pay off, and he missed out on at least two clear scoring chances.
He met with a dramatic reversal in fortune as the Taeguk Warriors found their way into the long-aspired round of 16.
"I almost cried," Park said of the moment. "Thanks to Yeom Ki-hun's dummy run I could spot the goalie was moving inside. So I kicked the ball to the far post."
Yeom stood between the wall of Nigerian defenders, and moved away just before Park's drive.
Since his youth, Park was seen as a top prospect, expected to lead the national team one day.
In 2004, Park became the most valuable player as the top scorer at the AFC U-20 Championship. Since debuting in the national team in 2005, he netted 14 goals from 41 appearances prior to the 2010 World Cup.
He won the rookie of the year award in 2005. But he failed to impress in his World Cup debut in 2006 raising questions over his ability.
Expectations for the striker were back on the rise again after he moved to the French league in 2008, and notched nine goals with three assists last season.
"Until I finish this World Cup, I will move forward step by step," Park said.
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