Round of 32 Still Likely, But 'Scenarios' Return

[Anchor]

Following our team's loss to Mexico, which leaves us with a record of one win and one loss, our hopes for an early qualification have been dashed. However, the possibility of advancing to the Round of 32 remains high.

Reporter Kim Soo-young breaks down the scenarios for reaching the Round of 32.

[Reporter]

If we win our third match against South Africa on June 25, we will finish with two wins and one loss, advancing to the Round of 32 as the second-place team in the group behind Mexico.

A draw against South Africa would also secure us second place with four points, allowing us to advance.

If the Czech Republic beats Mexico, they would be tied with us at one win, one draw, and one loss. However, because we won our head-to-head match in the first round, the "head-to-head" rule would place the Czech Republic in third place.

The situation becomes more complex if we lose to South Africa.

We would then have to consider the outcome of the match between Mexico and the Czech Republic, which takes place at the same time.

First, if the Czech Republic draws or loses to Mexico, their maximum points would be two. This would leave us in third place behind South Africa with our three points.

In this case, we would have to compare our points and goal difference with third-place teams from other groups to determine if we advance to the Round of 32.

Finally, if the Czech Republic beats Mexico, we are automatically eliminated.

South Africa and the Czech Republic would both have four points, pushing us to the bottom of the group.

If we finish second in the group, we will play our Round of 32 match in Los Angeles, USA, on June 29 against the runner-up of Group B. If we advance as the third-place team, we will face a difficult Round of 32 match against the winner of either Group E, which includes Germany, or Group G, which includes Belgium.

(Video Editing: Won Hyeong-hee, Design: Choi Ha-neul)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.