[Anchor]
Following a shocking defeat against South Africa, the players bowed their heads in disappointment. A commotion broke out as the South African squad sang loudly right next to our distressed players.
Pyeon Gwang-hyun reports from Monterrey.
[Reporter]
For Castrop, who was substituted in the second half to make his World Cup debut, the match against South Africa ended as a "nightmare."
Although he gave his all, covering both offense and defense, he blamed himself for failing to block the opponent's shot during the goal-conceding moment.
[Castrop/National Football Team Defender: I couldn't close my legs in time during the goal sequence. It was my mistake.]
The players stated they did not want to blame environmental factors like the hot weather and apologized to the fans who sent their support.
[Kim Min-jae/National Football Team Defender: I think the weather is just an excuse. I have nothing to say but to apologize for the loss.]
They promised to show a different side of themselves if they advance to the Round of 32.
[Lee Kang-in/National Football Team Forward: We need to reflect well and prepare so that a match like this does not happen again.]
There was also a minor commotion in the interview area after the match.
The South African squad was singing loudly to celebrate their victory, which interrupted the interviews of our players.
[Look, move forward!]
[Reporter: Please be quiet.]
When a South African team official, upon receiving the complaint, expressed displeasure by telling them not to interfere with their celebration, Hwang In-beom retorted by telling them to "show some respect," leading to a tense standoff.
[Hwang In-beom/National Football Team Midfielder: Please show some respect.]
The national team, now faced with the task of overcoming the shock of this unexpected defeat, must wait for the results of other groups.
Reported by Hwang In-seok | Video by Yoon Tae-ho | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji
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