South Korea began their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic in Group A. The Czech Republic took the lead in the 59th minute through Ladislav Krejčí, but South Korea responded quickly as Hwang In-beom equalized eight minutes later.
The comeback was completed in the 80th minute when Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winning goal to secure all three points.
Kang-in Lee was the standout performer for South Korea, registering an assist and controlling the game creatively as the Koreans overturned the deficit. Jae-sung Lee and Son Heung-min also played important roles in the victory, while Krejčí was the Czech Republic’s best player after opening the scoring.
Softfootball understands, The result leaves South Korea second in Group A, behind hosts Mexico on goal difference after Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa in the tournament opener. The Czech Republic are third, while South Africa remain 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 |
Mexico lead the group on goal difference following their 2-0 victory over South Africa, while South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic places them second after the opening round of matches.
