(Content © 2010 ZumaPress)
The group stage is now over, so get your defibrillators, give the grandparents their heart medicine because now begins the real drama. The knockout stages of the World Cup are the most exciting, nerve wracking, and heart racing sporting times on the planet. The first match of the knockout stage of the 2010 South Africa World Cup took place at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth as Uruguay faced Korea Republic.

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With a place in the quarterfinals on the line, Korea Republic came out with most of the possession in the 1st half with their best opportunity early in the match in the 5th minute when their #10 Park Chu Young struck a bending free kick that bounced off the post.

Korea Republic would go down 1-0 just three minutes later when Uruguay forward Diego Forlan sent a cross into the box that was misjudged by Korean keeper Jung Sung Ryong and the entire Korean backline. The ball found striker Luis Suarez alone at the back post who tapped it into an empty net to give the South Americans an early lead.
(AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

The first half ended with Uruguay leading 1-0 but Korea Republic played well despite the deficit due to their control of the run of play. The 2nd half started much the same as the first half in favor of the South Koreans, in the 56th minute a header from captain Park Ji Sung forced a diving save from Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera.

The Koreans' control of the match would pay off in the 68th minute when a free kick into the box was headed in the air by a Uruguayan defender and when it came down Korean midfielder Lee Chung Yong elevated above another defender to head the Jabulani into the net to equalize the match at 1-1.
(AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

The victorious team would be determined late in the match in the 79th minute off a Uruguay corner kick that crossed to the other side of the box. Suarez gathered the ball, moved to his right and sent a bending, curling shot off the inside of far post and into the net for the 2-1 lead and victory.
(AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

The Koreans almost sent the match into extra time when 2nd half sub Lee Dong Gook got in the box and shot the ball between the legs of Muslera but the keeper did enough to slow the ball down and Uruguayan captain Diego Lugano calmly cleared the ball before it reached the goal.

The win gave Las Charruas its 1st berth in the WC quarterfinals since the 1966 World Cup in England. Uruguay will await the winner of the Ghana-USA match in the quarterfinals.

Read FIFA's official match report to get the final stats.