A Single Mistake Decides the Match: "There Is Still One Game Left!"

[Anchor]

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu put on a show with several brilliant saves, but a single mistake left him with a bitter defeat. Kim is now reflecting on the disappointment and vowing to soar again in the next match.

Lee Jeong-Chan reports from the scene.

[Reporter]

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, who secured a thrilling comeback victory against the Czech Republic with a series of saves, threw his body on the line once again against Mexico.

In the 20th minute of the first half, he blocked a header from Quiñones, a former top scorer in the Saudi league, laying the groundwork for the team to take control of the match.

However, "just one mistake" proved fatal.

Five minutes into the second half, Kim rushed out to catch a high-arching ball. Perhaps because his shout was drowned out by the deafening roar of the home crowd, he collided with defender Lee Gi-hyuk and failed to clear the ball properly, ultimately conceding the winning goal.

[Kim Seung-gyu/National Football Team Goalkeeper: I judged that there was 'only our player' around, so I went out to catch it safely. I should have been more focused, and I think the result changed because I wasn't.]

With the team at risk of falling apart, Kim, acting as the eldest member of the squad, comforted his junior teammate Lee Gi-hyuk and looked for a turnaround.

[Forget it quickly, and if we hold firm at the back, someone will deliver up front.]

True to his word, he gritted his teeth and held his ground to make up for the error.

In the 30th minute of the second half, he blocked a decisive right-footed shot from Raúl Jiménez with his entire body, and in the 40th minute, he made an instinctive diving save to stop a surprise long-range shot from the opponent.

Although the desperately needed equalizer did not come, Kim calmly looked ahead to the next match.

[Let's not let the atmosphere drop. There is still one game left, and since I believe we are in a slightly more advantageous position, we need to come together again and do well in the next match.]

For Kim Seung-gyu, only that one moment was regrettable.

Now, he must leave the disappointment behind and run again here.

(Video reporting: Hwang In-seok | Video editing: Park Gi-deok | Design: Seok Jin-sun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.