Match Report: South Korea 2–1 Czechia — the sub who made Hong look like a genius
South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 in their World Cup opener at Estadio Guadalajara. Hwang In-beom scored and assisted as substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu's 80th-minute tap-in sealed the comeback. Here's how it happened, the key stats, and what's next for Group A.
South Korea 2–1 Czechia — the sub who made Hong look like a genius
Group A | Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara | June 11 (10 pm ET / 7 pm PT)
Son Heung-min had five shots before Czechia scored. Then a substitute finished the comeback. That's World Cup football.
How it happened
The first half belonged to South Korea on paper and to nobody in practice. Son probed, prodded, and fired from everywhere — five attempts, zero goals. Czechia sat deep in a compact 4-5-1, let them have the ball, and waited. For nearly an hour, the wait looked like a plan.
Then the set piece arrived. Vladimir Coufal launched a long throw from the right, Czechia's captain Ladislav Krejci rose ahead of the South Korean defense, and his header found the bottom corner in the 59th minute. 1 Matej Kovar hadn't been tested all half. The goal came from nothing.
South Korea responded fast. In the 67th minute, Lee Kang-in slipped a pass inside to Hwang In-beom, who found Kovar rushing off his line and chipped him — fake shot, scoop, net. 2 The crowd in Guadalajara erupted. It was 1-1.
Czechia thought they had the last word. Tomas Soucek nodded home a free-kick in the 78th minute — or so it seemed. VAR ruled it out for offside. The stadium held its breath.
Two minutes later, manager Hong Myung-bo's decision was vindicated. He had taken off Son — his captain, his best player — in the 69th minute for Oh Hyeon-gyu of Besiktas. Oh tapped in a Hwang cross at the far post in the 80th minute. 2 The game was won. Then keeper Kim Seung-gyu made a diving stop from Sadilek in stoppage time to seal it.
Match stats at a glance
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Three things that decided it
The first-half patience ran out for Czechia. They defended well for 58 minutes. But a team that gives the ball away and relies on set pieces can't keep that up forever. South Korea's xG was 1.84 to Czechia's 0.81 — the better side won. 2
Hwang In-beom was outstanding. A goal, an assist, and 93 touches — more than anyone else on the pitch. The Feyenoord midfielder is not a household name outside South Korea. After this, he will be.
Hong trusted the bench and got it right. Pulling Son when you're 1-0 down looks mad in the moment. Eleven minutes later the man who replaced him had the winner. "That's why you get paid the big money," said BBC pundit Clinton Morrison. 1
Group A standings after Matchday 1
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Czechia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Three points in your World Cup opener is usually enough to reach the round of 32 as a best third-place side. South Korea are in good shape. Czechia need a response. 1
What's next: Czechia face South Africa on June 18 (Atlanta, 12 pm ET / 9 am PT). South Korea face co-hosts Mexico on June 19 (Guadalajara, 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT). Both games matter more than they should after Matchday 1.
Quote of the Day: "When they fell behind, they showed the character and the quality in that final third." — Clinton Morrison, BBC Radio 5 Live 1
References
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