South Korea take credit after controversial exit

HANOVER, June 24 (Reuters) South Korea's World Cup dreams were shattered by a stingy Swiss defence and untimely French renaissance, while the luck that helped carry them to the semi-finals four years ago finally ran out.

Needing a victory over Switzerland to assure themselves of a place in the last 16, the Koreans were down 1-0 to an early Philippe Senderos header but looked poised to strike back in the second half.

Their hopes evaporated, however, when Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo overruled a linesman's flag and allow Alex Frei to score a decisive Swiss second.

The 2-0 loss in Hanover, coupled with a French win over Togo by the same score, sealed Korea's early exit.

''We were all looking forward to this World Cup so it's a shock to go out like this,'' playmaker Park Ji-sung told Reuters.

''We are all very sad but we lost 2-0 so I don't want to blame the referee.'' Defender Lee Young-pyo could not hide his disappointment after the match.

''We all stopped when we saw the flag go up for offside,'' he said. ''It was a very, very strange decision.'' The team's run the 2002 semi-finals was not without controversy, with beaten opponents Portugal, Italy and Spain complaining bitterly about key decisions going the way of the co-hosts.

CORRECT DECISION But South Korea coach Dick Advocaat grudgingly admitted referee Elizondo had been correct to allow Frei's goal to stand as the ball ricocheted off a defender before falling to the Swiss forward.

The Dutchman also insisted his team had nothing to be ashamed of and suggested that expectations in Korea had been raised unrealistically high after 2002.

''The impression is that we are unbeatable in Korea,'' he told reporters. ''We are proud we won one game - and that was a first.'' South Korea's 2-1 win over Togo in the opening group match was their first World Cup victory on foreign soil. They also held France to a creditable 1-1 draw in their second game.

Sharper finishing against the Swiss, the only team at the World Cup yet to conceded a goal, could have taken the Koreans into the second round.

''That's why we are all so sad about this result,'' said Park.

''It's shocking.'' As hundreds of thousands of ''Red Devil'' fans sat sobbing on the streets of Seoul at sunrise, their idols trudged past reporters shortly before midnight in Hanover, shoulders slumped and visibly distressed.

Coach Advocaat was in no mood to discuss his next move.

''I am too upset to think about my own future,'' he shrugged.

''I will take a few days and make a decision then.'' REUTERS DH PC1811