Hwang and Oh spark South Korea’s dramatic World Cup fightback
By Nawaz Gohar ; South Korea ignited their World Cup Group A campaign in thrilling fashion on Thursday, roaring back from a goal down to secure a gritty 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic.
Second-half strikes from midfield maestro Hwang In-beom and super-sub Oh Hyeon-gyu capped off a breathless encounter, sending the Taegeuk Warriors level with co-hosts Mexico at the summit of the group standings.
While the official attendance of 44,985 raised a few eyebrows due to noticeable patches of empty seats, those in the stadium made up for it with deafening noise. The local Mexican crowd firmly adopted the Koreans as their own—a lingering debt of gratitude from 2018, when South Korea’s legendary upset of Germany miraculously sent Mexico to the knockout rounds.
Yet, for over an hour, it looked like the Czech Republic’s brutal physicality would spoil the party.
The match was a fascinating study in contrasting philosophies: South Korea’s slick, geometric passing versus the direct, thumping pragmatism of the Czechs. A cagey, goalless first half belonged entirely to missed opportunities—most notably from South Korea’s talismanic captain, Son Heung-min. Usually lethal, Son endured a frustratingly rare off-day, squandering five clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes alone. The Tottenham icon remains agonizingly stalled at 56 international goals, just two shy of breaking his country’s all-time scoring record.
The game finally exploded into life in the 59th minute. The Czechs leveraged their aerial supremacy when West Ham’s Vladimír Coufal launched a trademark long throw into the box. Ladislav Krejci rose highest, meeting it with a thumping header that left the Korean keeper stranded.
Faced with adversity, South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo’s pre-match gospel echoed through his squad. “Before the match, I gave the players two messages: do not give up until the end, and unite as one,” Hong later revealed.
The response was instantaneous. Just eight minutes after falling behind, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in unlocked the Czech defense with a razor-sharp through ball. Hwang In-beom collected it, elegantly cut inside his marker, and whipped a low, curling right-footed effort into the far bottom corner.
With momentum fully on their side, Hong made the tactical gamble of the match, hauling off a misfiring Son for Oh Hyeon-gyu. It proved to be a masterstroke. In the 74th minute, the equalizer turned provider; Hwang turned a defender on the right wing and fired a fizzing, low cross into the six-yard box. Oh anticipated it perfectly, sweeping it home to send the traveling Korean fans into absolute euphoria.
The Czechs thought they had snatched a dramatic equalizer late on when Tomáš Souček powered home a header from a set-piece, but the linesman’s flag immediately cut the celebrations short for offside. It was a heartbreaking end for the Czechs, marking a bitter return to the world stage after a 20-year absence.
“We made some critical mistakes,” admitted a somber Czech coach Miroslav Koubek. “Looking back, we absolutely could have prevented those goals. We created opportunities, but their transition speed was just too fast.”
South Korea now marches into a high-stakes showdown against Mexico on June 18, a match that will likely decide who tops Group A. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic will travel to Atlanta to face a wounded South Africa, with both teams desperate to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
