Throw back Thursday: Nigeria vs. South Korea, Near misses derail Super Eagles' World Cup chances ( video)

South Korea advanced to the World Cup second round for the first time on foreign territory today by converting set pieces and outlasting an explosive Nigerian team that could have easily won had it not been for a few missed opportunities.

The two up-and-coming soccer powers dueled hard for the chance to be one of the tournament's last 16 teams in one of the World Cup's most fiercely fought and interesting matches thus far.

Kalu Uche scored the opening goal for Nigeria's Super Eagles in the 12th minute, and he celebrated by sprinting to the corner, sticking out his tongue, and flailing his arms weakly, appearing more like a chickadee than a Super Eagle.

South Korea retaliated before halftime, with Lee Jung-Soo converting a free kick after Nigerian defenders mishandled the ball.

On another set piece, the Reds took the lead just after halftime. Park Chu-Young curled a free kick around the Nigerian wall, inside the goalpost, and just beyond goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama's outstretched palm this time.

By the 57th minute, Nigeria's Swedish coach, Lars Lagerback, was eager to add striker Obafemi Martins to the Super Eagles' attack.

This shifted the tone of the game and allowed the Super Eagles to unleash their full offensive brilliance, something World Cup spectators have come to expect from them.

Martins energised the offense with a series of dashes down the right wing and movements inside that caught the Koreans off guard time and time again.

Then, in the 65th minute, Everton striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni had the chance of a lifetime, but he missed an open net in a moment that will live in infamy for his soccer-crazed country. He had an opportunity to make amends minutes later, and he did so quietly by converting a penalty kick.

But the Super Eagles weren’t finished. They needed the win and they played hard for it, streaking in from the wings and swooping in for more goals. Despite numerous near-misses, however, there were no goals to be found.

Martins found himself alone with the goalkeeper near the finish of the nail-biting encounter and floated a chip just right of the goal in the closest of all the chances.

This, coupled with Yakubu's open-goal gaffe, will be replayed in Nigeria and the Nigerian diaspora around the world.

Still, Nigerians can be proud of their team's performance today, and take heart in the fact that they should have won and advanced.

The problem is that Nigerians are far beyond moral victories. They expect their team to compete with the best in the world and tolerate nothing less.

“The second half today was the Nigeria we had been expecting all Cup,” said Jurgen Klinsmann, a former German soccer player who is now an ESPN analyst, adding that the Super Eagles could have played with the same intensity and enthusiasm in their first two games. “It's heartbreaking to see such a soccer nation return home.”

It certainly is, at least now that they've finally arrived with their signature brand of soccer.

But it's too late and too little.

Perhaps they can learn something from their Korean counterparts: consistency and discipline go a long way.