South Korea came from behind to secure a deserved 2-1 victory over Czechia in their opening FIFA World Cup match after dominating large portions of the contest and showing superior technical quality throughout.
The Taeguk Warriors were forced to do it the hard way after conceding against the run of play, but second-half goals from Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu completed an impressive comeback and handed the Asians a valuable three points.
Korea Control Early Proceedings
Despite Czechia’s direct approach from kickoff, South Korea gradually established control through their midfield trio of Lee Kang-in, Lee Jae-sung, and captain Son Heung-min.
The Koreans enjoyed the majority of possession and created the better chances in the opening half. Lee Kang-in emerged as the standout performer, repeatedly unlocking the Czech defence with his vision and passing range.
The Paris Saint-Germain playmaker nearly opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he unleashed a powerful long-range effort that forced goalkeeper Matěj Kovář into an excellent diving save.
Son Heung-min also threatened, seeing a half-chance deflected over the bar before narrowly missing the target with a trademark curling effort after driving through the Czech defence.
Despite Korea’s dominance, the first half ended goalless as Czechia defended resolutely and relied heavily on long balls into the channels.
Czechia Strike First
South Korea resumed the second half with the same intensity, controlling possession and pinning Czechia deep inside their own half.
Kovář produced another crucial save in the 55th minute, rushing off his line to deny Son from close range after a slick Korean move.
Just as it seemed only a matter of time before Korea scored, Czechia stunned the crowd in the 59th minute.
A brilliantly delivered set-piece found Ladislav Krejčí, who powered home to give the Europeans a 1-0 lead completely against the run of play.
Hwang Inspires Comeback
The goal briefly disrupted Korea’s rhythm, but they responded immediately.
Their persistence paid off in the 67th minute when Hwang In-beom produced a moment of individual brilliance. The midfielder ghosted into space, collected a perfectly weighted through-ball, danced past several defenders inside the box, and calmly rolled his finish into the far corner to level the scores.
Korea continued to press and were nearly punished again from a Czech set-piece. Tomáš Souček thought he had restored his side’s lead with a thunderous header in the 76th minute, but the assistant referee correctly ruled the goal out for offside.
The decision proved pivotal.
Oh Completes the Turnaround
With momentum firmly on Korea’s side, substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu delivered the decisive blow in the 80th minute.
The striker capped another flowing Korean attack by finding the back of the net to complete a remarkable turnaround and send the Korean supporters into celebration.
Czechia pushed desperately for an equaliser in stoppage time and came agonisingly close when Michal Sadílek found space inside the penalty area. However, the South Korean goalkeeper produced a crucial low save to preserve the lead.
Deserved Victory
While the scoreline remained tight until the final whistle, South Korea were unquestionably the better side for much of the match. Their patient build-up play, midfield control, and attacking creativity eventually overwhelmed a Czech side that relied heavily on physicality and set-pieces.
Lee Kang-in’s outstanding display in midfield, coupled with the leadership of Son Heung-min and the decisive contributions of Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu, ensured Korea began their World Cup campaign in ideal fashion.
The victory places South Korea in a strong position early in the tournament, while Czechia will be left wondering how they failed to hold on after taking the lead despite spending most of the match on the back foot.
