South Korea forward Ryu Seung-woo. (Photo : Getty Images)
A high-profile match between two of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics men's football tournament's best squads, Germany and South Korea, is scheduled at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador on August 7, Sunday as the second game of matchday 2 competitions in Group C.
Germany was able to pull off a 2-2 draw against the highly-favored and reigning Olympic champions Mexico in their opener on Thursday despite losing their team captain Leon Goretzka to injury early in the first half of the match, SB Nation reported.
Arsenal's 21-year-old winger Serge Gnabry was the star of the match after he ably filled-in for their team skipper, scoring an equalizing goal at the 58th minute after Mexico striker Oribe Peralta netted the opening goal at the 52nd.
Head coach Horst Hrubesch's boys looked lost in the first half as the Mexicans pressured them with attacks that came from all sides and they were fortunate to reach halftime with a goalless draw.
Die Nationalelf were able to recover in the second half as they began matching El Tricolor possession by possession. Gnabry's "penetrating runs" were the key to their fightback as he shot the ball from "a variety of angles" and had utilized "his full array of technical trickery" to send the robust Mexican defense off-balance.
Meanwhile, South Korea demolished lowly team Fiji, 8-0, in the opening day's other Group C game also on Thursday in Salvador, as per NBC Olympics.
Bayer Leverkusen star Ryu Seung-woo unleashed a hat trick at the 32nd, 63rd, and in stoppage time while Suwon Samsung's Kwon Chang-hoon and FC Porto's Suk Hyun-jun both scored braces in the match to lead the fearsome Korean Republic attack.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min completed the Taegeuk Warriors's eight-goal haul with a spot kick at the 72nd minute, showcasing the All-Star talent of head coach Shin Tae-yong's squad.
This game between the Germans and Koreans is tough to call as both teams feature world-class, club-level talents and would surely be a hard-fought one for both coaches. The team to attack first and control ball possession will come out on top in the end.
The predicted result is a tough 2-1 decision for South Korea.
Germany starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Horn; Toljan, Ginter, Sule, Klostermann; L. Bender, S. Bender; Brandt, Goretzka, Meyer; Selke
South Korea starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Gu; Lee S.C., Choi, Jung, Sim; Moon, Jang, Lee C.M.; Kwon, Hwang, Ryu
