South Korea launched their World Cup journey with a 2-1 comeback win against the Czech Republic in Group A. The Czech Republic initially took the lead in the 59th minute courtesy of Ladislav Krejčí, but South Korea quickly leveled the score through Hwang In-beom just eight minutes later.
The turnaround was finalized in the 80th minute when Oh Hyeon-gyu netted the decisive goal, earning South Korea all three points.
Kang-in Lee stood out for South Korea, providing an assist and creatively orchestrating the play during the comeback. Jae-sung Lee and Son Heung-min also contributed significantly to the win, while Krejčí was the standout performer for the Czech Republic following his opening goal.
Softfootball reports that the outcome places South Korea second in Group A, trailing hosts Mexico on goal difference after Mexico’s 2-0 triumph against South Africa in the tournament’s opening match. The Czech Republic is positioned third, while South Africa is at the bottom of the group.
South Korea Player Ratings
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Kang-in Lee | 8.4 |
| Jae-sung Lee | 7.5 |
| Son Heung-min | 7.0 |
| Lee Tae-seok | 6.9 |
Czech Republic Player Ratings
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Ladislav Krejčí | 7.4 |
| Pavel Šulc | 6.9 |
| Vladimír Coufal | 6.9 |
| Jaroslav Zelený | 6.8 |
| Lukáš Provod | 6.8 |
| Matěj Kovář | 6.8 |
| Alexandr Sojka | 6.5 |
| Tomáš Souček | 6.2 |
| Adam Hložek | 6.1 |
| Michal Sadílek | 6.0 |
| Patrik Schick | 5.9 |
| Tomáš Chorý | 5.9 |
| Štěpán Chaloupek | 5.8 |
| Robin Hranáč | 5.6 |
Group A Standings
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 3 |
| 2 | South Korea | 3 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 0 |
Following the 2-0 win by Mexico over South Africa, Mexico leads the group on goal difference, while South Korea’s victory against the Czech Republic places them in second after the first round of matches.
