Spain had begun to dream. After falling short for decades, they had dared to believe that at last they would fulfil their World Cup potential. "I know we're likely to advance to the final if we win," the midfielder Baraja had said boldly on the eve of this match. Little did he know how quickly the dream would turn into a nightmare.

It has become the norm for Spain to disappoint but this felt different. As South Korea celebrated wildly, many neutrals were filled with emptiness. It was not just that the better team had lost, in part because of the latest incompetent decisions from officials, but in keeping with a strange game, the finest player had missed the decisive penalty.

Joaquin, a fearless right midfielder, had caught the eye with his willingness to take on and beat opponents. When he was slowed by a thigh problem near the end of extra-time it seemed logical he would leave the shoot-out to others. But, a day after his 21st birthday, and with less than 10 caps, he insisted to the coach, Jose Antonio Camacho, that he would step up.

"I pleaded to take that penalty because I was really confident in myself," he said. "Now my heart hurts; it is broken. I feel so much impotence. If I could step back in time I would surely score that penalty. I was fine to take it."

After a stuttering run-up Joaquin's poor kick was easily saved though the goalkeeper was a good yard off his line, leaving South Korea's captain, Hong Myong-bo, to score and send Spain home. As at Mexico '86 and Euro '96, Spain were eliminated in a quarter-final on penalties. Camacho was on the pitch rather than the bench when Belgium did the damage 16 years ago.

The record books will show another Spanish failure, but incorrect calls by the referee's assistants skewed the outcome. Twice the ball found its way into South Korea's net and twice the efforts were disallowed. Throw in two poor offside decisions, and players were talking of plots to favour the co-hosts by Egypt's Gamal Ghandour and his assistants.

"It was a robbery," said Joaquin. "It was clear before reaching the penalty shoot-out what was going on. It wasn't only the two legal goals (the referee) didn't give, but a lot of wrong decisions he made."

The idea of a conspiracy is surely nonsense but one piece of officiating was beyond belief. Joaquin's emotions might have been markedly different had the Trinidadian linesman Michael Ragoonath not incorrectly ruled that the Real Betis player had run the ball out before crossing to give Fernando Morientes a clear chance.

The striker headed the ball into the net but against a goalkeeper who had stopped, and the world will never know whether he would have scored the golden goal. It is inexcusable for a World Cup official to make a mess of such a simple call. Ivan Helguera was at the forefront of post-match protests to the officials, and FIFA may take retrospective action.

Spain will point to bad luck as well as bad decisions, with Morientes hitting a post in extra-time. But they must accept, too, that they wasted chances to have won. Javi de Pedro mishit a shot and Mendieta should have set up an open goal after Morientes struck woodwork. South Korea had only two opportunities but held their nerve in the shoot-out.

After Spain were eliminated in the first round of France '98, stories were told of how certain players were laughing and joking as they headed home. This time there were only long faces and occasional red eyes.

This squad looked a younger, hungrier group. Camacho must have envisaged lifting the World Cup. "We have just become one more victim of the refereeing," he claimed. "Is it a scandal? Right now I am sure it is."

SUBSTITUTES

Spain: Mendieta for de Pedro (70); Enrique for Valeron (80); Xavi for Helguera (94)

South Korea: Lee Chun-soo for Sang-chul (61); Lee Eul-yong for Nam-il (32); Hwang

Sun-hong for Tae-young (90)

YELLOW CARDS

Spain: de Pedro 53, Morientes 111

South Korea: Sang-chul 52