South Korea lose 1-0 to Iran in World Cup qualifying

TEHRAN: South Korea head coach Uli Stielike bemoaned the lack of a cutting edge striker after his side offered little threat going forward in Tuesday’s 1-0 World

TEHRAN: South Korea head coach Uli Stielike bemoaned the lack of a cutting edge striker after his side offered little threat going forward in Tuesday’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Iran in Tehran.

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Asia section Group A leaders Iran dominated the clash at the Azadi Stadium with home striker Sardar Azmoun scoring the winning goal with a well-taken finish in the first half.

The Koreans, who suffered their first defeat in the qualifying campaign for the 2018 tournament, failed to cope with the intensity of Team Melli’s play and struggled to create any clear-cut chances against a determined Iranian defence.

“Our primary goal is to qualify for the World Cup but if we play like we did today, it may be difficult to accomplish that. It hurts to admit it, but we have to credit the better team,” Stielike said.