Spaniards must beware tired but inspired Korea

The theory expressed by the Republic of Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, that Spain would be exhausted by their efforts in beating his team after extra-time and penalties on Sunday will be tested when they take on South Korea in the heat of the afternoon sun tomorrow. What McCarthy could not have known was that the co-hosts would also be put through a physical and emotional wringer two days later in defeating Italy with Ahn Jung-Hwan's golden goal.

Now it is the Koreans' coach, Guus Hiddink, who has been pondering the effect of having to play an even more important game so soon. His best bet is to hope that his players, like the country, are still high on whatever it was that got them through the night on Tuesday.

"We have a disadvantage compared to the Spanish team, who have already been off for two days," Hiddink said. "In these circumstances, playing with such tension, it costs lots of physical and mental energy. For me the most important thing is not to train but to recover."

There can be no doubting the Korean players' fitness. They have run most opponents off their feet, but will face a serious test of their style at the southern venue of Kwangju, with a 3.30pm kick-off local time. Spain, attempting to avoid becoming the third victims of a spectacular Latin hat-trick after Portugal and Italy, will at least have even more warning of what to expect than the other pair. Spies and videotape will confirm that Hiddink has fashioned a useful team, who seem to derive even more energy than most host countries from the vibrancy of their supporters. Furthermore, three of the Spanish squad – Luis Enrique and the defenders Miguel Angel Nadal and Fernando Hierro – were in the side that squandered a two-goal lead with only five minutes left against South Korea in Dallas eight years ago.

The Spanish coach, Jose Camacho, would be wise to keep the (relatively) younger, quicker Ivan Helguera in the team ahead of Nadal in order to combat the pace of Ahn, the other goalscoring hero, Seol Ki-Hyeon of Anderlecht, and Park Ji-Sung, whose wide role on the right of the attack keeps opposing defences at full stretch. "They're very intense, fast, and what we can't do is be infected by that," said Camacho, who will be anxious to see his own star striker, Raul, in full training today for the first time since suffering a minor groin strain against the Irish.

Hiddink, for whom Raul scored 25 goals in a season at Real Madrid three years ago, would be delighted to see him ruled out. Having also coached Valencia and Real Betis, he knows the strengths and weaknesses of the Spanish team and will have observed how Ireland were able to unsettle them in the second half last Sunday. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, there are no Koreans of Niall Quinn's size available.

* Guus Hiddink has criticised the president of Perugia, Luciano Gaucci, for insulting Ahn Jung-Hwan by refusing to take the player back to his Serie A club after his golden goal removed Italy from the World Cup. "It's a childish reaction," the South Korea coach said. "If there's England-France, do they say to Frank Leboeuf, do they say to Marcel Desailly, they cannot score against England at a corner-kick?"