Hiddink tames the instincts of the Warrior

Guus Hiddink used to advertise a credit card on South Korean television, stressing the unique qualities of the flexible friend in question with the slogan: "Just one." Now that his team have at last recorded a victory in the country's sixth World Cup – effectively turning tomorrow's match against the United States in Taegu into a play-off for a second-round place – his catchphrase might well be: "Just one more."

Who would have thought it? The tournament is barely a week old and already the supposed makeweights of Group D have plunged Poland and Portugal, countries with far greater footballing traditions, into soul-searching. The Americans have created upsets before, as England know from bitter experience in 1950, without remotely loosening the grip baseball, basketball, gridiron and ice hockey exert on the hearts and wallets of its people.

South Korea, however, have been terminal under-achievers, failing to win in 14 finals fixtures since their debut in 1954 – a 9-0 rout by Hungary – until last Tuesday's cathartic 2-0 defeat of Poland. The triumph in Pusan, tumultuously acclaimed by as loud a crowd of around 50,000 as I have ever heard, finally confirmed that the nation had fallen in love with football, or at least with Hiddink and his team, the "Ultimate Warriors".

Long before it was divided by war and ideology, Korea gave the world a sport, or rather a martial art, called taekwondo. In modern times, it has lionised speed skaters more than footballers, while the popularity of baseball outstrips that of the K-League. But when Hwang Sun-Hong and Yoo Sang-Chul buried their shots beyond Jerzy Dudek, something changed, possibly forever.

The core of true believers, the 110,000-strong "Red Devils", were joined in their euphoria by the previously sceptical or uninterested man on the Ulsan omnibus. Nearly 75 per cent of all families watched the match on TV. Later, the crowds that thronged the streets of Seoul were the biggest since the pro-democracy protests of the 1980s. Suddenly it was impossible to find anyone who ever doubted Hiddink, who was derided when results were poor after his arrival 18 months ago.

Korean players have always had talent; even that Stalinist dinosaur, North Korea, sent a wonderfully fast and skilful team to England in 1966. What they have lacked is someone to harness ability to awareness – eg. learning to cover a colleague who moves out of position – and the physique to stand up to so-called developed football nations.

Hiddink, the former Holland coach, instituted a training regime to beef up his squad. The scheme reaped a spectacular dividend: seldom, if ever, can an Asian team have dominated a European side, albeit from the second rank of powers, so completely; and it must be doubtful whether one has ever overpowered such opponents as South Korea did Poland.

He also worked hard on tactical appreciation. When defending, the Koreans tended to be in 4-5-1 formation. Going forward, it morphed into 3-4-3, with their exemplary sweeper and captain, Hong Myung-Bo, floating like a latterday Lothar Matthäus. And though they might not appreciate the comparison, their attacking fluidity evoked memories of North Korea 36 years ago.

Dudek and his defenders may have been relieved to see Hwang – like Hong, playing in his fourth World Cup – substituted in the second half. But his replacement, Ahn Jung-Hwan, proved even more elusive, combining quick feet with a shoot-on-sight policy. Ahn's two seasons with Perugia have seen him used only marginally more than Japan's Jinuchi Inamoto at Arsenal. Far from lacking sharpness, both look frighteningly fresh.

Hiddink, typically, had a short tolerance of the celebratory mood. "I'm now fixing myself on the game in Taegu," the Dutchman announced. "The players know that's the most important thing now. I didn't under-estimate the Americans, even before their fantastic win against Portugal. Many of their players come from the European leagues, so they are strong and experienced."

Even so, South Korea may have the luxury of having reached the last 16 before facing Portugal at Inchon next Friday. Again, images of '66 will dance through the mind, of a Portuguese side studded with stars from then-mighty Benfica being dragged all over Goodison Park by swarms of diminutive North Koreans. They neither realised it is unnecessary to keep pouring forward when you lead 3-0 nor knew how to close the game down. Four goals by Eusebio helped turn it round to 5-3.

Maybe if North Korea had possessed a Guus Hiddink, history might have been different, for they would have then met England at Wembley for a place in the World Cup final. South Korea have fired dreams of similar progress, and while their coach is more rooted in the real world, he will not settle readily for just one more win.