Shock Defeat to South Africa: Round of 32 Qualification No Longer in Our Hands

[Anchor]

Our national football team has suffered an unexpected defeat against South Africa. The group stage has concluded, and now our advancement depends on luck.

Our first report today, June 26, comes from Monterrey with reporter 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 a breakthrough.

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 precarious flow of the game thanks to Lee Ki-hyuk's desperate defensive blocks and Kim Seung-gyu's saves.

Although the team attempted to turn the tide by bringing in 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, marking the third consecutive game in which we conceded first.

After failing to create any significant chances even after substituting in Cho Gue-sung, the national team ended the match with a 1-0 loss after a lackluster performance.

South Africa, previously considered the weakest team in the group, finished 2nd with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in history. Meanwhile, South Korea, which only needed a draw to secure 2nd place, barely managed to finish 3rd thanks to Mexico defeating the Czech Republic.

Having suffered two consecutive losses after winning their first match at the World Cup for the first time, South Korean football now finds itself in a position where it must rank among the top 8 of the 12 third-placed teams to reach the Round of 32.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Head Coach: The players seemed to be a bit impatient. I take full responsibility for today's match result.]

The national team, returning to their base camp in Guadalajara in a somber mood, is scheduled to hold a recovery training session this afternoon, local time.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.