PORT ELIZABETH, June 26 (PTI): Luis Suarez struck twice, one in each half, to give Uruguay a 2-1 victory over a plucky South Korea in an absorbing match and take his side to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after 40 years here today.
Ajax striker Suarez scored in the eighth and 80th minute for Uruguay, the second a gem of a goal, while South Korea found the target through Lee Chung-yong in the 68th minute at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
With the double strike, Suarez joined Argentine Gonzalo Higuain and Spaniard David Villa on top of goal scorers� list with three strikes each.
The Uruguayans, unbeaten in the tournament so far, booked their quarterfinal berth for the first time after the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. They will meet the winners of the round of 16 match between United States and Ghana, in the quarterfinal on July 2.
The South Koreans, who were hoping to make it to their second quarterfinal after reaching the semifinals in 2002 when they co-hosted the tournament with Japan, relied on patient build-up while the Uruguayans were quick in counter-attacks.
But the �Taeguk Warriors� were the better side for most part of the match, having more ball possession and forcing the South Americans on the defensive from the second part of the first half till before the last 15 minutes of play.
They were also done in by a horrible mistake by their goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong which resulted to Uruguay taking the lead.
South Korea were unlucky not to have taken the lead in the fifth minute when Park Chu-Young�s free-kick from 25 yards crashed the outside of Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera�s right-hand post.
But Fernando Muslera�s opposite number Jung Sung-ryong committed a horrible goalkeeping error to allow the Uruguayans the lead in the eighth minute.
Uruguay striker Diego Forlan sent a cross from the left along the six-yard box and for some inexplicable reason Jung Sung-Ryong left it and then looked on bewildered as Luis Suarez slotted the ball into the empty net from a tight angle.
Jolted by the reverse, South Korea pressed hard with more ball possession and continuously probed the Uruguayan defence which had not conceded a goal in the group stage.
The 32nd minute saw South Korean striker Park Chu-Young firing a powerful left footer from 25 yards but it drifted down Uruguayan right-hand post.
Continuing with their remarkable fightback after a goal down, the hard-running South Koreans forced their more fancied rivals on the defensive for most part of the second session with the pitch lashed with rain.
In the 50th minute, Chu-Young tried to latch on to a low cross from the left by Lee Young-Pyo but Jorge Fucile cleared it inside the six-yard box.
Eight minutes later, South Korean captain Park Ji-Sung�s header, connecting a cross from the right, was well saved by keeper Fernando Muslera.
The incessant attacks paid off with South Korea equalising in the 68th minute through Lee Chung-Yong.