South Korea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the
Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring
a late winner to seal all three points in Guadalajara.
Despite dominating large portions of the match, the
Koreans struggled to convert their chances and appeared destined to be
frustrated until Oh found the breakthrough in the 80th minute.
Led by captain Son Heung-min, South Korea controlled
much of the first half but failed to make their superiority count. Son came
close on multiple occasions, first firing over the crossbar before embarking on
a brilliant run past two defenders, only to drag his effort wide of the target.
The Czech Republic stunned their opponents shortly
after the restart by taking the lead against the run of play. Defender Ladislav
Krejci rose highest at the near post to head past goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and
give the Europeans a surprise advantage.
South Korea continued to press forward and were
eventually rewarded in the 67th minute. Midfielder Hwang In-beom produced a
moment of quality, deceiving the defence with a clever feint before delicately
lifting the ball over Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar for the equaliser.
The Czech Republic briefly thought they had regained
the lead, but their effort was ruled out, providing South Korea with renewed
momentum.
Hwang then turned provider for the decisive goal,
delivering a precise cross from the right flank that substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu
calmly converted to complete the comeback.
A tense finale followed as both sides searched for
another goal, but South Korea held firm to secure a crucial opening victory. At
the final whistle, an emotional Son Heung-min collapsed to the turf in
celebration as his teammates rushed to congratulate him.
The win places South Korea in a strong position ahead
of their next Group A fixture against co-hosts Mexico on June 18. Mexico opened
their campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic will look to bounce back
when they face South Africa in Atlanta on the same date.
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