S. Korea beats Japan for bronze in men's football

The South Korean men's football team celebrates after defeating Japan on Friday to win the bronze medal at 2012 London Olympics. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)

South Korea beat Japan 2-0 to claim the bronze medal in men's football at the London Olympics Friday.

At Millennium Stadium, striker Park Chu-young scored late in the first half and midfielder Koo Ja-cheol added second-half insurance to give South Korea its first Olympic football medal.

In the 38th minute, Park, taking control of the loose ball near center, charged up the middle and danced his way in among three defenders for the opening goal.

South Korean forward Park Chu-young scores the opening goal during the bronze medal match against Japan on Friday. (Yonhap News)

Park Chu-young (right) reacts after scoring the opening goal. (Yonhap News)

Koo, team captain, capitalized on a breakaway chance in the 57th and put a right-foot strike past Shuichi Gonda in the net, despite having defender Daisuke Suzuki all over him.

South Korean captain Koo Ja-cheol scores against Japanese defender Daisuke Suzuki. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)

This was South Korea's ninth Olympic football tournament, and the country had reached the quarters only twice before.

South Korea beat Britain in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals before getting blanked by Brazil 3-0 in the semis.

Park, 27, was one of three "wild card" selections for South Korea. Olympic football tournaments are open to players 23 or younger, but countries are permitted to pick up to three players over the age cap.

Winger Kim Bo-kyung almost made it 3-0 for South Korea in the 60th, but Gonda got his hand on the shot from the arc before the ball rang off the right post.

The sides opened tentatively and Japan threatened first near the half-hour mark. Hiroshi Kiyotake curled a shot from just outside the arc, forcing South Korean goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to make a diving save. In the 37th, Hiroki Sakai's header off a cross went just wide of the left post.

Japan dominated the ball in the second half following Koo's score, but couldn't break through the crowded South Korean zone.

Japan had a goal disallowed with two minutes left, with Kenyu Sugimoto getting a yellow for pushing down Jung as Maya Yoshida headed in a corner into a gaping net.

In a testy game between fierce regional rivals, seven yellow cards were issued, including three to South Koreans in a 12-minute span in the first half.

The bronze medal exempts the footballers from mandatory military service. An Olympic medal of any color grants all male athletes such exemption if they haven't already served in the armed forces.

Earlier this year, Park Chu-young came under fire for postponing the service by acquiring a 10-year residency visa in Monaco last year. He'd played for AS Monaco in the top French league before joining Arsenal in the Premier League.