• Uruguay 2-1 South Korea, World Cup second round

Suarez double powers Uruguay into last eight

Luis Suarez scored twice © Getty Images

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Uruguay v South Korea gallery

Uruguay reached their first World Cup quarter-final since 1970 after a Luis Suarez double helped them to a 2-1 victory over South Korea.

Suarez struck with nine minutes remaining to set up a last-eight showdown against USA or Ghana on Friday.

His first-half strike had earlier been cancelled out by Lee Chung-Yong during a period in which South Korea were rampant, and could easily have claimed the win themselves.

Uruguay enjoyed the more serene passage into the second round of the two sides, racing through with seven points and for the loss of no goals. By contrast, South Korea were forced to withstand waves of late Nigeria pressure in order to hold on for the required draw in their final group game.

They were on the back foot again in the early stages here, and fell behind after eight minutes when Suarez profited from goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong's misjudgement - he inexplicably let the ball drift across the six-yard box - to tap Diego Forlan's centre into an unguarded net.

The goal left South Korea shell-shocked, and they took a while to escape the shackles of disappointment and mount a goal threat of their own. In the latter stages of the first 45 they began to dominate the possession, but their attacking moves were easily repelled by the stubborn Uruguayan rearguard.

South Korea seemed to have snapped themselves out of their slumber at the start of the second half, and they came racing out of the traps with a frenzied intensity. Park Chu-Young missed a golden chance to equalise when he sent a half-volley flying over from inside the area, while Park Ji-Sung passed up a presentable opportunity by sending a tame header over.

A deserved leveller eventually came with 22 minutes remaining, as Uruguay conceded for the first time in the tournament. An innocuous delivery into the area was headed straight up in the air by Maurico Victorino, and Lee Chung-Yong beat the onrushing goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to the ball.

Uruguay had not been at the races at the start of the second half, clearly believing that one goal would be sufficient for victory. After being pegged back, they began to show more ambition - and the more adventurous style nearly reaped immediate dividends. Suarez, who has forged a reputation for being so clinical in front of goal, found himself all alone six yards out - but he rushed his header, and the ball drifted harmlessly wide.

The Ajax striker turned from villain to hero just as the game ticked into the last ten minutes, curling a sumptuous shot into the corner of the net from 18 yards after a corner was only partially cleared.

It was a hammer blow to South Korea's hopes, but they roused themselves to fight back - and nearly equalised when Lee Dong-Gook's shot squirmed under Muslera before holding up on the sodden turf before it crossed the line. Their late pressure was in vain, however, and Uruguay march on toward a last-eight encounter they will fancy their chances of winning.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.