Analysis— 5 min read
South Korea opened their World Cup campaign with a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Czechia at the Estadio Guadalajara, climbing level with Mexico at the top of Group A after the tournament's first day of action.
Captain Son Heung-min was a constant threat throughout, forcing a string of saves from Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovar, who denied him in the 39th minute with a long-range effort and again early in the second half with a one-on-one stop. South Korea dominated the chances, finishing the match with an 11-2 advantage in shot attempts, but it was Czechia who struck first.
Ladislav Krejci put the Czechs ahead in the 59th minute against the run of play, threatening to silence the home support and hand South Korea an early setback. The response was immediate and spectacular. In the 67th minute, Hwang In-beom — formerly of the Vancouver Whitecaps — drove at the Czech defence, beat two defenders with a sequence of close control, and delicately chipped the ball past Kovar to level the score.
Hwang was not finished. In the 80th minute, he picked out substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu with a dangerous cross into the area. Oh met it from close range, and the shot deflected off the goalkeeper and into the net for the winner.
The result puts South Korea level on points with co-hosts Mexico, who beat South Africa 2-0 earlier on the opening day. South Korea and Mexico now meet in Guadalajara on June 18 in a match that could decide the top of Group A, with Son Heung-min — closing in on his country's all-time goalscoring record — having already shut down suggestions this would be his last World Cup.