Shock Defeat to South Africa: Hopes of Automatic Round of 32 Qualification Dashed

[Anchor]

The national football team has suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat to South Africa in their final group stage match of the North and Central America World Cup, following a lackluster performance. Having dropped to third place in the group, the team has failed to secure an automatic spot in the Round of 32. They are now in the humiliating position of having to wait and rely on the results of other groups to determine their fate.

Our first report comes from Monterrey, Mexico, with Lee Jeong-Chan.

[Reporter]

The national team, which left captain Son Heung-min and veteran Lee Jae-sung out of the starting lineup and deployed a front three of Oh Hyeon-gyu, Hwang Hee-chan, and Lee Kang-in, struggled to find any rhythm.

In the 2nd minute of the first half, Kim Min-jae’s header from a corner kick was blocked by the opposing defense, and six minutes later, Lee Kang-in’s left-footed shot narrowly missed the goal.

Conversely, the team struggled against South Africa’s counterattacks, as the opponents tightened their defense and exploited our gaps.

The team barely managed to survive the pressure thanks to Lee Ki-hyuk’s desperate defensive blocks and Kim Seung-gyu’s saves, but the uneasy flow of the game continued.

At the start of the second half, the team attempted to turn the tide by substituting in Son Heung-min and Castrop, but they ended up conceding the opening goal instead.

In the 18th minute of the second half, despite having more defenders in the penalty box, the team was caught in disarray and allowed Maseko to score with a left-footed shot, marking the third consecutive match in which the team conceded first.

Even after substituting in Cho Gue-sung, the national team failed to create any significant opportunities and ultimately lost 1-0 after a poor performance.

South Africa, previously considered the weakest team in the group, finished in second place with one win, one draw, and one loss, advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, South Korea, which only needed a draw to secure second place, narrowly held onto third place only because Mexico defeated the Czech Republic.

Having suffered two consecutive losses after winning their opening match for the first time in World Cup history, South Korean football is now in a position where they must rank among the top eight of the 12 third-placed teams to advance to the Round of 32.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Head Coach: I think the players felt a bit impatient. I take full responsibility for today’s result as the head coach.]

The national team, returning to their base camp in Guadalajara in the worst possible atmosphere, is scheduled to hold a recovery training session tomorrow afternoon, June 26, local time.

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