By Andrew Carroll
Sports Editor

Down 3-0 and facing elimination the South Korean football team conjured up a three-goal fightback Tuesday to earn a draw and secure a ticket to the quarterfinals of the Athens Olympics.

Outplayed and outclassed for much of the opening 50 minutes, the Koreans got three goals _ two by Cho Jae-jin and a Malian own goal _ in a seven-minute stretch to reach the second round of the Olympic tournament for the first time since 1948.

The draw ensured both teams advanced but for much of the match it looked like South Korea would be on the outside looking in as Mexico were beating Greece in the other Group A clash and eventually won 3-2.

Mali and South Korea both picked up five points from three matches but the Africans top the group on goal difference. Mexico finished with four points while hosts Greece got one.

From the opening whistle Mali looked the better team, stringing together passing plays while their opponents struggled to keep pace.

Mali would go up 1-0 after seven minutes but not without some controversy as striker Tenema Ndiaye scored the first goal of his hat-trick with the aid of a hand ball after beating South Korea’s offside trap.

Ndiaye put Korea on the ropes in the 22nd minute as he slotted home a rebound after teammate Moussa Coulibaly hammered Kim Young-kwang’s crossbar with a free-kick and the Korean defense stood idly by.

Mali then pulled back to defend the lead and in a presage of things to come allowed two scoring chances late in the first half but were saved by goalkeeper Cheick Bathily who made a pair of great stops against Cho Jae-jin and Lee Chun-soo.

As could be expected, South Korea came out after the break with some purpose but as they pressed forward opportunities opened up for a counterattack and Ndiaye would get his third in the 54th minute.

The comeback began just three minutes later as an unmarked Cho Jae-jin headed in Kim Dong-jin’s cross from the left past Bathily. The same pair hooked up two minutes later on a similar play with Kim crossing to find Cho at the far post.

Still a loss would have meant that Korea were out but they finally got some luck as Malian defender Adama Tamboura headed Choi Sung-kuk’s cross into his own net despite not really being pressured.

The teams then focused on running time out but a pair of horrendous gaffes by the Koreans gave Mali two more chances to score in the final eight minutes.

After a turnover in the Korean half Dramane Traore forced a save out of goalkeeper Kim with a rocket from the top of the box. Kim then had to be quick to his feet to stop Ndiaye from getting his fourth goal as he still managed to hit the post.

Five minutes later Kim Dong-jin played an errant pass in front of his own net where Traore picked it up and fired a shot that tested goalkeeper Kim once again.

South Korea now will face the winner of Group B, either Italy, Paraguay or Ghana depending on the results of their final matches.

carrolland@speedpost.net