Group B of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 22 June 2010. The group consisted of Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea and Greece. It was the third time that Argentina and Nigeria had been drawn together in the same World Cup group, after 1994 (when Greece were also in the same group) and 2002. Argentina had also been paired with South Korea in 1986.
Argentina won all three of their matches, conceding just one goal, and progressed as group winners. South Korea joined them in the knockout stage by virtue of their victory over Greece in the opening match and a draw with Nigeria in the last. That point was the only one Nigeria won, having also lost to Greece in their second match.
Standings
Argentina advanced to play Mexico (runners-up of Group A) in the round of 16. South Korea advanced to play Uruguay (winners of Group A) in the round of 16.
Matches All times local (UTC+2)
South Korea vs Greece In the seventh minute, Ki Sung-yong's free kick near the left corner was inadvertently flicked on by Kostas Katsouranis, before Lee Jung-soo rushed to the back post to open the scoring. The Koreans' lead was doubled through captain Park Ji-sung, who tackled Loukas Vyntra and sprinted all the way to fire a low shot into the corner of the net as they kept their 2–0 win until the final whistle.
GK 18Jung Sung-ryongRB 22Cha Du-riCB 4 Cho Yong-hyungCB 14Lee Jung-sooLB 12Lee Young-pyoRM 17Lee Chung-yong CM 16Ki Sung-yong CM 8 Kim Jung-wooLM 7 Park Ji-sung (c)SS 19Yeom Ki-hunCF 10Park Chu-young Substitutions:MF 5 Kim Nam-il FW 11Lee Seung-yeoul MF 13Kim Jae-sung Manager:Huh Jung-moo GK 12Alexandros TzorvasRB 15Vasilis Torosidis CB 8 Avraam PapadopoulosCB 11Loukas VyntraLB 2 Giourkas SeitaridisRM 7 Georgios Samaras CM 6 Alexandros TziolisCM 21Kostas KatsouranisLM 10Giorgos Karagounis (c) CF 9 Angelos Charisteas CF 17Theofanis GekasSubstitutions:DF 3 Christos Patsatzoglou FW 14Dimitris Salpingidis FW 20Pantelis Kapetanos Manager: Otto Rehhagel Man of the Match: Park Ji-sung (South Korea)
Assistant referees: Jan Hendrik Hintz (New Zealand) Tevita Makasini (Tonga) Fourth official: Martín Vázquez (Uruguay) Fifth official: Carlos Pastorino (Uruguay)
Argentina vs Nigeria On six minutes, an unmarked Gabriel Heinze dived forward to head home Juan Sebastián Verón's corner kick and put Argentina 1–0 up. Lionel Messi had numerous chances for Argentina following that, but on each occasion, Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was able to keep the margin down to one. Enyeama's saves earned him the man of the match award. Post-match, Argentina coach Diego Maradona said he was confident his side would perform well in the future.
GK 22Sergio RomeroRB 17Jonás Gutiérrez CB 2 Martín DemichelisCB 13Walter SamuelLB 6 Gabriel HeinzeDM 14Javier Mascherano (c)RM 8 Juan Sebastián Verón LM 7 Ángel Di María AM 10Lionel MessiCF 11Carlos TevezCF 9 Gonzalo Higuaín Substitutions:MF 20Maxi Rodríguez FW 19Diego Milito DF 4 Nicolás Burdisso Manager:Diego Maradona GK 1 Vincent EnyeamaRB 17Chidi OdiahCB 2 Joseph Yobo (c)CB 6 Danny ShittuLB 3 Taye Taiwo CM 14Sani KaitaCM 20Dickson EtuhuCM 15Lukman Haruna RF 19Chinedu Obasi CF 8 YakubuLF 18Victor Obinna Substitutions:FW 9 Obafemi Martins FW 11Peter Odemwingie FW 12Kalu Uche Manager: Lars Lagerbäck Man of the Match: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)
Assistant referees: Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany) Mike Pickel (Germany) Fourth official: Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia) Fifth official: Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)
Argentina vs South Korea Argentina took the lead when Lionel Messi's free kick from the left was turned into the Korean goal by Korean player Park Chu-young. A free kick was awarded on the left, and Messi's cross was headed in by Gonzalo Higuaín. In first half injury time, Korea cut the deficit when Lee Chung-yong tackled Martín Demichelis to score. Two goals from Argentina in the second half sealed a 4–1 win. Messi's shot was first saved by goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong; his second shot hit the post before Higuaín shot the ball into an unguarded net. Higuaín completed his hat-trick by heading in a cross from substitute Sergio Agüero.
GK 22Sergio RomeroRB 17Jonás Gutiérrez CB 2 Martín DemichelisCB 13Walter Samuel LB 6 Gabriel Heinze DM 14Javier Mascherano (c) RM 20Maxi RodríguezLM 7 Ángel Di MaríaAM 10Lionel MessiCF 9 Gonzalo Higuaín CF 11Carlos Tevez Substitutions:DF 4 Nicolás Burdisso FW 16Sergio Agüero MF 5 Mario Bolatti Manager:Diego Maradona GK 18Jung Sung-ryongRB 2 Oh Beom-seokCB 4 Cho Yong-hyungCB 14Lee Jung-sooLB 12Lee Young-pyoCM 16Ki Sung-yong CM 8 Kim Jung-wooRW 17Lee Chung-yong AM 7 Park Ji-sung (c)LW 19Yeom Ki-hun CF 10Park Chu-young Substitutions:MF 5 Kim Nam-il FW 20Lee Dong-gook Manager:Huh Jung-moo
Man of the Match: Gonzalo Higuaín (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Peter Hermans (Belgium) Walter Vromans (Belgium) Fourth official: Jerome Damon (South Africa) Fifth official: Céléstin Ntagungira (Rwanda)
Greece vs Nigeria Nigeria had the majority of possession in the first half hour and took an early lead when Kalu Uche scored from a free kick. The momentum of the game shifted significantly in favour of Greece when Sani Kaita was sent off for kicking towards Vasilis Torosidis when the pair were contesting for the ball.
With the extra man advantage, Greece pushed for an opening goal, and Georgios Samaras had an impressive first-half strike cleared off the line by Lukman Haruna before Dimitris Salpingidis made it 1–1 with a strike outside the penalty box that deflected into the Nigeria goal.
In the second half, Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama could only parry a shot from Alexandros Tziolis into the path of Torosidis, who scored the second goal for Greece from the rebound.
The victory for Greece was their first ever win at the World Cup. Kaita received death threats after the match from Nigeria supporters for his dismissal from the game.
GK 12Alexandros TzorvasRB 16Sotirios KyrgiakosCB 11Loukas VyntraCB 8 Avraam PapadopoulosLB 15Vasilis TorosidisDM 19Sokratis Papastathopoulos CM 6 Alexandros Tziolis CM 21Kostas KatsouranisRW 10Giorgos Karagounis (c)LW 14Dimitris SalpingidisCF 17Theofanis Gekas Substitutions:FW 7 Georgios Samaras MF 18Sotiris Ninis Manager: Otto Rehhagel GK 1 Vincent EnyeamaRB 17Chidi OdiahCB 2 Joseph Yobo (c)CB 6 Danny ShittuLB 3 Taye Taiwo RM 14Sani Kaita CM 20Dickson EtuhuCM 15Lukman HarunaLW 12Kalu UcheSS 11Peter Odemwingie CF 8 YakubuSubstitutions:FW 19Chinedu Obasi DF 21Elderson Echiéjilé DF 5 Rabiu Afolabi Manager: Lars Lagerbäck Man of the Match: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)
Assistant referees: Abraham González (Colombia) Humberto Clavijo (Colombia) Fourth official: Joel Aguilar (El Salvador) Fifth official: William Torres (El Salvador)
Nigeria vs South Korea
GK 1 Vincent Enyeama RB 17Chidi OdiahCB 2 Joseph Yobo CB 6 Danny ShittuLB 5 Rabiu AfolabiCM 13Ayila Yussuf CM 20Dickson EtuhuRW 19Chinedu Obasi AM 4 Nwankwo Kanu (c) LW 12Kalu UcheCF 8 Yakubu Substitutions:DF 21Elderson Echiéjilé FW 9 Obafemi Martins FW 18Victor Obinna Manager: Lars Lagerbäck GK 18Jung Sung-ryongRB 22Cha Du-riCB 4 Cho Yong-hyungCB 14Lee Jung-sooLB 12Lee Young-pyoRM 17Lee Chung-yongCM 16Ki Sung-yong CM 8 Kim Jung-wooLM 7 Park Ji-sung (c)SS 19Yeom Ki-hun CF 10Park Chu-young Substitutions:MF 5 Kim Nam-il MF 13Kim Jae-sung DF 15Kim Dong-jin Manager:Huh Jung-moo Man of the Match: Park Ji-sung (South Korea)
Assistant referees: José Cardinal (Portugal) Bertino Miranda (Portugal) Fourth official: Marco Antonio Rodríguez (Mexico) Fifth official: José Luis Camargo (Mexico)
Greece vs Argentina Greece approached the game defensively and let Argentina have the majority of possession, limiting them to mostly long-range shots. Greece goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas kept the first-half goalless with a sequence of saves, denying strikes from Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi and Juan Sebastián Verón.
Early in the second half, Greece started to push forward, and Georgios Samaras ran on to a long clearance, but his shot was blocked by Nicolás Burdisso, and his follow up effort went wide.
Argentina eventually got the breakthrough on 77 minutes when Martín Demichelis smashed the ball into the roof of the net from a blocked shot. Martín Palermo then scored just before stoppage time after a run from Messi.
GK 12Alexandros TzorvasRB 16Sotirios KyrgiakosCB 11Loukas VyntraCB 8 Avraam PapadopoulosLB 15Vasilis Torosidis DM 5 Vangelis MorasCM 19Sokratis PapastathopoulosCM 10Giorgos Karagounis (c) RW 6 Alexandros TziolisLW 21Kostas Katsouranis CF 7 Georgios SamarasSubstitutions:DF 4 Nikos Spiropoulos MF 18Sotiris Ninis MF 3 Christos Patsatzoglou Manager: Otto Rehhagel GK 22Sergio RomeroRB 4 Nicolás BurdissoCB 2 Martín DemichelisCB 15Nicolás OtamendiLB 3 Clemente RodríguezDM 5 Mario Bolatti RM 8 Juan Sebastián VerónLM 20Maxi Rodríguez AM 10Lionel Messi (c)CF 16Sergio Agüero CF 19Diego Milito Substitutions:MF 7 Ángel Di María MF 23Javier Pastore FW 18Martín Palermo Manager:Diego Maradona Man of the Match: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan) Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan) Fourth official: Peter O'Leary (New Zealand) Fifth official: Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands)
See also Argentina at the FIFA World Cup Greece at the FIFA World Cup Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup South Korea at the FIFA World Cup
References
Match reports