The opening match of World Cup Group A concluded at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico, with South Korea coming from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1, earning a crucial three points and temporarily placing them second in the group. The match was filled with highlights: Lee Kang-in posed a significant threat with long-range shots, and Son Heung-min missed several scoring opportunities; the Czechs took the lead through Krejci’s header assisted by Coufal’s throw-in, only for Lee Kang-in to set up Hwang In-beom for an equalizer. In the second half, a header from Soucek was ruled offside, and in the final moments, Hwang In-beom assisted Woo Hyun-kwe who scored the dramatic winner, completing Korea's comeback.
📌 Match Highlights
- Milestone for Son Heung-min: This match marks Son Heung-min’s fourth World Cup appearance, equaling the record for the most World Cup entries by a South Korean. The record for appearances by an Asian player is held by Japan's Yuto Nagatomo (five times). Son was somewhat off his game, missing a clear opportunity, with only one of his six shots on target before being substituted in the 70th minute.
- Czech Aerial Advantage: Since the 1990 World Cup, the Czech team has scored a total of 14 goals in World Cups, seven of which came from headers, making this scoring method a distinctive feature of their play.
- Rare Throw-In Assist: The Czech goal in the first half stemmed from a powerful throw-in by Coufal directly leading to a goal. The last time a throw-in directly assisted a goal in a World Cup match was back in 2010 when Slovakia played against Italy (the assist was made by Koman).
- Group A Standings: Following the first round of matches, Mexico tops the table with 3 points and a +2 goal difference; South Korea also has 3 points but sits second with a +1 goal difference; the Czech Republic remains scoreless in third, and South Africa is bottom of the group with a -2 goal difference.
⏱️ Match Recap
First Half Stalemate
- 12th minute: Lee Kang-in played a delicate pass, Lee Jae-sung laid it back, but Son Heung-min’s shot was blocked by a defender and went out for a corner.
- 13th minute: Lee Tae-suk crossed from the left, and Lee Han-beom’s header from inside the box went just over the bar.
- 14th minute: Lee Kang-in fired a powerful long-range shot from outside the box, which forced a great save from Czech goalkeeper Koval.
- 31st minute: Schick attempted a long-range shot from outside the box, sending the ball high into the stands.
- 38th and 39th minutes: Son Heung-min took a right-footed shot from the top of the box that went over. Moments later, he advanced into the penalty area before firing a left-footed shot wide of the post. The first half ended scoreless.
Second Half Goals
- 56th minute: Lee Jae-sung sent a through ball; Son Heung-min found space on the left side of the box but had his left-footed shot saved by Koval.
- ⚽ 59th minute: Czech Republic breaks the deadlock! Coufal threw in a powerful long throw that went directly into the box, where Krejci jumped to head it in, putting the Czechs ahead 1-0.
- ⚽ 67th minute: South Korea equalizes! Lee Kang-in sent a precise through ball, and Hwang In-beom deftly maneuvered around a defender before chipping the ball into the net with his right foot to make it 1-1.
- 77th minute: Sadilek took a free kick from the left that Soucek headed into the net, but the referee ruled it offside.
- ⚽ 80th minute: Korea wins it! Baek Seung-ho sent a long pass from midfield, Hwang In-beom crossed from the right, and substitute Woo Hyun-kwe scored with a close-range finish, putting Korea ahead 2-1.
- 84th minute: Park Jeong-suk, a South Korea international playing for Zhejiang in the Chinese Super League, made his World Cup debut.
- 93rd minute: Sadilek attempted a right-footed shot from inside the box but was denied by the goalkeeper, and the Czech Republic missed a chance to equalize in stoppage time.
📊 Post-Match Lineups
South Korea (3-4-3)
- Goalkeeper: 1- Kim Seung-kyu
- Defenders: 2- Lee Han-beom, 4- Kim Min-jae, 3- Lee Gi-won
- Midfielders: 22- Hwang In-beom (84’ 16- Park Jeong-suk), 6- Baek Seung-ho (84’ 24- Kim Jin-kyu), 8- Lee Tae-suk (69’ 25- Yeon Ji-sung)
- Forwards: 19- Lee Kang-in, 7- Son Heung-min (69’ 18- Woo Hyun-kwe), 10- Lee Jae-sung (62’ 11- Hwang Hee-chan)
- Substitutes not used: 12- Song Beom-keun, 21- Jo Hyeon-woo, 5- Kim Tae-hwan, 14- Jo Wei-ji, 15- Kim Won-hwan, 23- Castro, 17- Bae Jung-ho, 20- Yang Hyun-jun, 26- Lee Dong-gyeong, 9- Cho Gue-sung
Czech Republic (3-4-3)
- Goalkeeper: 1- Koval
- Defenders: 6- Šalýpek, 4- Hranáč, 7- Krejčí
- Midfielders: 5- Coufal, 22- Souček, 24- Sojka (85’ 13- Čídil), 20- Zelenský
- Forwards: 15- Schick (64’ 18- Sadilek), 10- Hložek (64’ 9- Hejda), 17- Provod (64’ 19- Horák)
- Substitutes not used: 16- Staněk, 23- Holínček, 2- Čima, 3- Holejš, 14- Juraszek, 21- Dojč, 8- Darida, 12- Červ, 25- Sohůrek, 11- Kuchta, 26- Višinský