Koreans look to keep Wolves from the door in Asian Cup quarters

South Korea face a serious test of their title credentials when they take on Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Thursday with the White Wolves hungry for revenge. The Koreans, looking to end 55 years of hurt in the region's showcase tournament, broke Uzbek hearts by denying them a place at the 2014 World Cup by virtue of goal difference, forcing them to contest a playoff with Jordan which they lost. Failure to qualify for a first World Cup gives the former Soviet republic added incentive and Uzbekistan coach Mirdjalal Kasimov has promised the Group B runners-up will tear into their illustrious opponents in Melbourne. "We will use that as motivation for sure," Kasimov told AFP on Wednesday. "We'll use every little bit of motivation to get a big result. We want revenge but it's also important for us to be calm. South Korea are one of the most dangerous teams in Asia." Uzbekistan, Asian Cup semi-finalists in 2011, overpowered Saudi Arabia 3-1 to progress to the last eight, Sardor Rashidov scoring twice as Kasimov opted to rest Korean-based captain Server Djeparov, and they will pose a serious threat to the Taeguk Warriors. South Korea coach Uli Stielike coaxed his team of walking wounded to top spot in Group A after beating hosts Australia 1-0 at the weekend, making it three wins out of three. While their football has rarely hit the heights of South Korean teams past, notably the dynamic version which reached the 2002 World Cup semi-finals under Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Stielike's team will be difficult to beat. Shock call-up Lee Jeong-Hyeop's sharp finish toppled the Aussies in a match largely dominated by the tournament hosts, South Korea displaying the technical nous to soak up pressure and strike on the break. - Sticky end - Nevertheless, they last won the Asian title in 1960 -- the year Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, won Olympic boxing gold and Elvis Presley returned from military duty in Germany. "One bad game now and we're on the plane home," said Stielike, under pressure to avoid coming to a sticky end at the Asian Cup. "There is a lot of expectation on the national team in South Korea and we've felt it." Injuries to winger Lee Chung-Yong, with a fractured shin, and midfielder Koo Ja-Cheol to torn elbow ligaments have given the German selection headaches but golden boy Son Heung-Min, dubbed "Sonaldo" by his Bayer Leverkusen team mates, returns from a bout of sickness. "I haven't come out here on vacation," said the striker, a huge celebrity in his home country where his floppy hairstyles and romantic dalliances make the gossip pages. "I'm here to win the Asian Cup -- whether we score one goal a game or 10, it doesn't matter as long as we get the job done." The Korean squad were also hit by a flu bug, but unforgiving South Korea fans will expect nothing less than a victory after their World Cup quest flatlined last year. The squad were pelted with toffee by angry fans on their return to Seoul -- a traditional insult in the country, where "Go eat a toffee!" translates as a fruitier version of "Get lost!"