South Korea came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 and start their FIFA World Cup Group A campaign with a victory.
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Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyuon scored for South Korea after the team fell behind early in the second half.
As a result, South Korea joined co-hosts Mexico at the top of Group A with three points. Earlier, Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener.
Although the official attendance reached 44,985, empty sections remained visible in the stadium. Even so, most fans strongly supported the Korean side.
South Korea’s famous win over Germany at the 2018 World Cup helped Mexico reach the knockout stage. Therefore, local supporters continued to show appreciation.
The Czech Republic opened the scoring in the 59th minute. Ladislav Krejci rose highest and headed home from a long throw by Vladimir Coufal.
However, South Korea responded quickly. Lee Kang-in delivered a precise through ball and created space for Hwang In-beom. Hwang then cut inside and scored with a low finish.
Later, Hwang created the winning goal. His low cross reached Oh Hyeon-gyuon, who finished from close range.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min missed several chances during the match. As a result, he remained two goals short of South Korea’s all-time scoring record.
After the match, coach Hong Myung-bo praised his players for staying united and competing until the final whistle.
On the other hand, Czech coach Miroslav Koubek admitted his team made mistakes and struggled to stop South Korea’s pace.
South Korea will play Mexico on June 18. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic will face South Africa the same day.
