Shock Defeat to South Africa: Automatic Round of 32 Qualification Fails

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The national football team suffered a 1-0 defeat against South Africa in their third group stage match of the North and Central America World Cup. Having dropped to third place in Group A, the team failed to secure an automatic spot in the Round of 32. Now, their fate depends on the results of other groups.

Lee Jeong-Chan reports from Monterrey.

[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 their 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 efforts and Kim Seung-gyu's saves, but the uneasy flow of the game continued.

Although the team attempted a turnaround by bringing on Son Heung-min and Castrop at the start of the second half, they instead conceded the opening goal.

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. It marked the third consecutive match in which the team conceded the first goal.

Even after substituting in Cho Gue-sung, the team failed to create any significant chances and ultimately lost 1-0 after a lackluster 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, barely managed to finish third thanks to Mexico defeating the Czech Republic.

Having suffered two consecutive losses after winning their opening match for the first time in World Cup history, South Korea must now rank among the top eight of the 12 third-place teams to advance to the Round of 32.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Head Coach: I think the players were a bit impatient. As the head coach, I take full responsibility for today's match result.]

The team, returning to their base camp in Guadalajara in a somber mood, is scheduled to hold a recovery training session this afternoon, June 26, local time.

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