S. KOREA BEATS QATAR IN FOOTBALL MATCH

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea's national team has defeated Qatar in a football friendly which included the fastest goal scored in an A match game in Korean football history. The win marked the national team's 500th international victory to date, a precious record for the team hit hard by coronavirus infections.

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As the starting whistle blows, Son Heung-min presses forward, strong. Striker Hwang Ui-jo makes the most of a defensive blunder and passes to Hwang Hee-chan who easily scorches the net. The goal came in just 16 seconds after kickoff, making it the fastest score in South Korean A match football history. Qatar, the host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, quickly counterattacked. They managed to find loopholes in Korea's defense, and scored an equalizer. Qatar's talented strikers continued to come close to notching another goal. For struggling team Korea, ace Son Heung-min once again swooped in to save the day. In the 36th minute, he connected a cross to Hwang Ui-jo, who scored the goal to secure a win. Son's presence was clearly felt as he continued to speedily dissect the defense. While no goals were scored in the second half, Korea continued to pressure Qatar with Hwang Ui-jo's mid-range shooting. The 2-1 victory was the national team's 500th A-match win. The first A-match dates all the way back to 1948.

[Soundbite] PAULO BENTO(S. KOREAN NAT'L TEAM COACH) : "I'm glad we achieved 500th A-match victory amid a difficult situation."

Son and the two Hwangs, were again a force to be reckoned with, collaborating for two goals. But the defense line was unstable with key players like Kim Min-jae missing. Six players on the national team tested positive for COVID-19 but both friendly matches were completed without interruption. While most head home, some of the infected players including goalkeeper Jo Hyun-woo will remain quarantined in Austria, then take a chartered flight back to Korea.