South Korea Rally Past Czechia 2-1 — World Cup Results So Far

South Korea beat Czechia 2-1 in Guadalajara and the world cup results so far in Group A suddenly changed shape. Ladislav Krejci put Czechia ahead in the 59th minute, but South Korea answered and finished with three points alongside Mexico.

Hwang In-beom Sets the Response

Krejci’s header gave Czechia the lead, yet the advantage lasted only a short stretch. Hwang In-beom equalised shortly after, and the match flipped back toward South Korea before the final phase.

Oh Hyeon-gyu then scored the winner with 10 minutes remaining. Hwang supplied the pass for that goal, turning the comeback into a clean final swing rather than a scramble.

Hong Byung-bo Demands One Team

Hong Byung-bo said he told his players: “Before the match I gave two messages: not give up until the end and unite as one”. He added: “Whether on the pitch or not, we need to play as one team.”

That was the most direct read on South Korea’s finish. Son Heung-min remained two goals short of the all-time scoring record for his country after the match, so the win came through the rest of the side rather than a breakout night from the captain.

Czechia Leave Guadalajara Empty-Handed

Czechia were playing their first World Cup match for 20 years, and Miroslav Koubek became the oldest manager in World Cup history in the opening game. His side still had chances: Tomas Soucek headed in a free-kick, but the flag went up for offside, and Adam Hlozek forced Kim Seung-Gyu into a late save at the back post.

Koubek said, “We really made some mistakes but also made opportunities. Our opponent was very fast.” He also said, “The better team won. We had to fight and we did. Now we need to move on. We need to be more attacking and creative in the last 30m. In attack we have room for improvement.”

South Korea now turn to Mexico on 18 June, with both teams on three points at the top of Group A after the opening matches. Czechia travel to Atlanta to meet South Africa on the same day, already needing a sharper final pass than they showed in Guadalajara.