Full Story 12: Mathis got the goal when he took a pass from John O'Brien, who had run the ball up from midfield, trapped it with his right foot and kicked it with his left, slotting it past goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae from about 12 meters (yards).
Friedel, starting his second straight game over Kasey Keller, made a brilliant stop in the 40th minute after Agoos was called for dumping Hwang Sun-hong in the penalty area when U.S. defender Eddie Pope tumbled into the players.
Mathis and U.S. captain Claudio Reyna rejoined the lineup while Pablo Mastroeni -- Reyna's replacement -- and injured midfielder Earnie Stewart came out. Reyna, however, was not much of a factor.
South Korea's supporters, overwhelmingly clad in red, started chanting and banging drums more than 2 1/2 hours before the start. Signs hanging from the upper deck included "Hiddink! Make our dream come true!" "God Bless Corea" and "We have a dream." (U.S. fans outnumbered.)