Anchor: The Korean football team played in its second match in the Brazil World Cup on Monday, Korea time. Only a shred of the team's optimism following the first match remained, as the Algerians won 4-2, with three of their goals coming in the first half. The loss greatly diminishes Korea’s chances of advancing to the round of 16, but the team is still clinging by a thread.
Our Bae Joo-yon has more.
 
Reporter:  Korea lost to Algeria 4-2 in their second Group H match Monday Korea time, dashing the chance to secure a second straight berth to the knockout stage.
 
As play started at Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre, Korea snuffed out an early Algeria threat but was unable to gather any momentum before yielding three goals in the space of 12 minutes in the first half.
 
Islam Slimani opened up the scoring in the 26th minute. Two minutes later Rafik Halliche made it two-nil. It looked as though the Algerians could lay back and cruise to victory, but they continued to press on. In the 38th minute, Abdelmoumene Djabou made it three-nil.
 
Once the second half started, Korea wasted no time in trying to come back. In the 50th minute, Son Heung-min sent a shot off his right foot that slipped through the Algerian goalkeeper’s legs.
 
But any hope of a comeback was crushed in the 62nd minute as Yacine Brahimi extended Algeria’s lead again to three.
 
Korea would score one more time, in the 72nd minute, with Koo Ja-cheol tapping in a pass near the goal, but the Algerians held on to collect their first World Cup win since 1982.
 
The loss puts Korea on the bottom of the Group H standings. Belgium leads the group with six points, following their one-nil victory over Russia earlier in the day. Algeria is in second with three points, while both Korea and Russia have one point, but Russia is ahead by one in goal differential. 
 
Tim Alper, a columnist for South Korean monthly football magazine Best 11, says Korea is still alive but the prospect of reaching the next round is bleak. 
 
[Sound bite: Football Columnist Tim Alper, Best 11 magazine]
"There are two scenarios whereby Korea could now qualify for the round of 16. Russia wins [against Algeria] by a margin of one goal, in this case, Korea would need to win by more than two goals to qualify, or if Russia draws with Algeria. In this case, Korea would need to win by more than three goals to qualify [against Belgium]. It seems quite unlikely that either of these scenarios will take place as Belgium will want to finish top of the group to avoid whichever team finishes top of Group G."
 
The football expert added, however, this is the World Cup, and anything can happen. 

Experts say this World Cup, in particular, has been full of surprises, so it is not time for Korea to completely give up hope just yet.
 
The next Group H matches will take place simultaneously on Friday at 5 a.m. Korea time.
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.