Jan Vertonghen fired home late on to seal a 1-0 win for Belgium over South Korea and clinch top spot in Group H.

Coming into the final Group H clash, South Korea needed to beat their European counterparts comfortably in Sao Paulo and hope that Algeria dropped points against Russia in the other fixture.

Russia held Algeria to a 1-1 draw, but Hong Myung-Bo's side were ultimately unable to fulfil their end of the bargain, as Belgium prepare to face United States in the next round on Tuesday.

Both sides struggled to maintain control in the first period, but Thibaut Courtois was forced into action on a couple of occasions.

The Koreans were given a notable advantage towards the end of the first half though, when Steven Defour earned a red card, but they were unable to make the most of the dismissal despite controlling much of the second period.

Ki Sung-Yeung tested Courtois from range and Son Heung-Min rattled the crossbar with a fluke effort, but Belgium grabbed a late winner through Jan Vertonghen and go through with a maximum of nine points, while South Korea head home early.

Marc Wilmots insisted in the build-up that his side would not go easy on their opponents despite only needing a draw.

But the 45-year-old made seven changes from the Russia win, with Adnan Januzaj making his first international start.

Source: goal.com

BDST: 0430 HRS, JUN 27, 2014