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In an entertaining nightcap to conclude the opening day of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, South Korea surged late to secure their comeback.
After a frustrating first half that saw South Korea dominate without scoring, Czechia opened the scoring thanks to a saved goal from captain Ladislav Krejčí. From there, however, it only served as a wake-up call for South Korea, who significantly upped their game and got impressive goals from In-Beom Hwang and Hyun-Gyu Oh.
Here are my takeaways:
1. South Korea’s perseverance pays off
The match opened with South Korea dominating possession and Czechia patiently staying back focusing on team defense. This was to be expected because Czechia is a team that has depended on its defense for years.
But South Korea won this match by not getting frustrated, when they easily could have done so. Despite several chances in the last 10 minutes of the first half, South Korea returned to the locker room empty-handed at halftime.
Then, in the second half, Czechia took the lead against the run of play thanks to its greater strength on a saved goal from Krejčí.
Czech striker and captain Ladislav Krejci applauds his country’s supporters after the match. (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
At a time when South Korea could have crumbled under pressure, panicked or forced chances, the team stuck to their game plan and remained focused on their attack. Ultimately, the Taegeuk Warriors were rewarded with a brilliant goal in the 67th minute when Lee Kang-In delivered a brilliant pass that found Hwang, who chipped Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovár after some impressive footwork.
From there, it was only a matter of time before South Korea found the winner. This indeed happened when Hwang moved down the right side and set up substitute Oh for a close range finish.
South Korea head coach Myung-Bo Hong deserves a lot of credit. First, his decisions were right. Captain and team legend Son Heung-min’s withdrawal in the 69th minute could have been considered controversial if it hadn’t worked, but Oh came on and found the winner.
But beyond his tactical decisions, Hong instilled a lot of determination into his team. Comeback victories are never easy in the World Cup and they require the team to have a strong mentality. This usually comes from the coach.
2. Czechia are masters of set pieces, but more is needed
Coming into this match, Czechia’s game plan was no secret. His greatest strength is his ability to score from set pieces. In World Cup qualifying, 11 of his 22 goals came from set pieces. This only continued after the hiring of 74-year-old head coach Miroslav Koubek in December. In the elimination rounds of UEFA qualifying in March, Czechia faced Ireland and Denmark 2–2 before winning both games in a shootout. All four goals were from set pieces.
Krejčí, a central defender who recently played for Wolverhampton in the Premier League on loan from Girona in Spain, was particularly dominant. He scored in both victories against Ireland and Denmark. He can now add a World Cup goal to his CV.
In the 78th minute, Czechia almost scored again from a free kick when Tomáš Souček headed a free kick, but the match was ruled offside in a very close decision.
To participate in the World Cup, Czechia will need a more balanced and varied attack. The team just didn’t create much in open play against Korea.
Despite their failure, Czechia has a realistic path to the round of 16. A win against South Africa could be enough, given that eight of the 12 third-placed teams qualify and they also have a catch-up with Mexico.
3. His son’s frustrations with Korea
Son Heung-min is the most successful Korean player of all time, with a distinguished European career between Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham, where he spent most of his career and eventually became team captain. In 2025, he joined Los Angeles FC in MLS. His first season in MLS was solid with nine goals in 10 games, but 2026 was a nightmare with no goals in 13 games.
The question remained open as to how this crisis would continue until this World Cup. His son was active and involved in dangerous occasions. It looked like a goal was coming for him, and his best chances came late in the first half, including a missed chance deep in the Czech box. In the second half, he continued to threaten and had the best chance of the match in the 56th minute, which forced a save from close range.
Finally, he was replaced in the 69th without contributing a goal. From now on, the pressure will continue to mount on him. South Korea played their best football after Son’s replacement, but the team will ultimately need Son to capitalize if they want to win the knockout matches. He remains essential for the team to reach its potential.
4. Kang-In Lee and Hwang were the Korean stars
The two best players on the field in this match were South Koreans Lee and Hwang. Both players combined to equalize, but that only tells part of the story of how good both players were.
Lee, a reserve midfielder for recent Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, was the driving force of the South Korean attack throughout the match. Even in the first half, when the match was scoreless, any promising attacks usually came from him. In the second half, he raised his game.
Hwang was the best player of the match as he scored and assisted in a dominant second half. The Feyenoord midfielder, who also played for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019-20, made some impressive big plays that broke Czechia out of their well-organized defensive shell and opened the match.
4 ½. What’s next?
South Korea and Mexico both picked up three points in Group A on Thursday, but South Korea currently sits in second place in the group due to goal differential. He will have the chance to leapfrog El Tri in the standings when they meet at the Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.
Czechia is third in Group A with zero points and a goal differential of minus-1. They face last-place South Africa in their second group stage match on Thursday.
