South Korea snatches victory from Czechia thanks to In-Beom's goal. South Korea pulled off a comeback win over Czechia to move up to second place in the group. The decisive goal was scored by Hwang In-Beom. Czechia missed their chance to equalize in the closing moments of the match.
South Korea started the group stage with an important victory over the Czech Republic, managing to turn the match around after conceding a goal and moving up to second place in Group A. The key moment was Hwang In-beom's goal, while goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made two crucial saves in the closing minutes, preventing the opponent from equalizing.
From the opening minutes, the Koreans seized the initiative, taking advantage of their opponent’s cautious tactics. Quick combinations and aggressive play in the opposition’s half created several dangerous chances at Kovar's goal. Kang-in Lee was especially prominent, orchestrating all the attacks. In the 14th minute, he nearly opened the scoring with a long-range shot, but the Czech goalkeeper tipped the ball for a corner.
After a brief pause, the Czechs tried to regain control with set pieces and crosses, but it was still the Koreans who came closest to scoring before halftime. Son threatened the goal twice, and in stoppage time failed to finish off Lee Tae-seok’s cross, leaving the teams tied at 0-0 at the break.
In the second half, Kovar continued to keep the Czech team in the game, saving consecutive shots from In-beom and Lee Jae-sung, and then winning a one-on-one with Son in a dangerous situation. However, in the 62nd minute, the Czechs seized their chance: after a throw-in by Coufal and a cross, Krejci headed the ball into the net to open the scoring.
The coaches reacted immediately: Kobek made a triple substitution to hold onto the lead, but it did not work. Just eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom received a pass from Kang-in Lee, beat both a defender and the goalkeeper, and accurately placed the ball into the far corner—1:1.
The Czech Republic could have taken the lead again, but Souček's goal was disallowed for offside. In the next attack, the Koreans executed a quick combination: Paik and In-Beom played a one-two, and Oh Hyeon-gyu finished the cross, putting his team ahead.
In the closing stages, the Czech Republic went all in, but Kim Seung-gyu saved his team twice after shots from Hložek and Sadílek. South Korea held on for the win and earned three points, trailing Mexico only on goal difference.
The match was a continuation of the battle in the group, where earlier Mexico had already claimed a victory. As noted by russpain.com, the clash between Korea and the Czech Republic was seen as crucial for determining the standings in the group.
For reference: Hwang In-Beom plays for Feyenoord, while Kang-in Lee is with PSG. The Czech Republic traditionally relies on set pieces and aerial play, which was again evident in this match. In recent years, South Korea has consistently advanced from the group stages of major tournaments, while the Czech team remains one of the most pragmatic sides in Europe.
