Slim Hopes for Round of 32: Fans Frustrated by Reliance on Other Results

Following Germany, both Japan and Australia have failed to provide the help South Korea needed.

The chances of the South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, advancing to the Round of 32 in the North and Central American World Cup are growing increasingly slim.

Earlier today, Japan drew 1-1 against Sweden in their final Group F match of the North and Central American World Cup, held at Dallas Stadium in Texas, USA.

With this result, Japan secured its spot in the Round of 32, finishing second in the group behind the Netherlands.

Sweden finished third in Group F with one win, one draw, and one loss. With 4 points, they have surpassed South Korea in the competition among third-placed teams for a spot in the Round of 32.

In this tournament, the top 8 teams out of the 12 third-placed teams across all groups are awarded tickets to the Round of 32.

The top 8 are determined based on points, goal difference, and other criteria.

South Korea, which finished its group stage in third place in Group A with a disappointing record of one win and two losses (3 points), was in a position where it had to hope for a Japanese victory today.

If Japan had defeated Sweden by a margin of two or more goals, South Korea could have overtaken Sweden in the race among third-placed teams.

Regrettably, the two teams ended in a draw.

In Group E, which concluded earlier, Germany was upset by Ecuador, losing 1-2.

Ecuador pulled off a shock victory against the powerhouse Germany, earning points and also overtaking South Korea in the race for a third-place wildcard spot.

In Group D, South Korea would have benefited if Australia had won or if Paraguay had won by a margin of two or more goals.

However, unfortunately, the two teams drew 0-0, and both Australia and Paraguay advanced to the Round of 32 together.

For South Korea to comfortably reach the Round of 32, it needed its Asian neighbors like Japan and Australia to hold their ground, and football powerhouses like Germany to defeat lower-ranked teams. So far, however, no one has been able to help South Korea.

South Korea needs to have a better record than three of the remaining six third-placed teams, but the chances are not very high.

As of June 26, with six groups having completed their group stage matches, the only third-placed team with fewer points than South Korea is Scotland from Group C.

The consensus is that the hope for a turnaround is rapidly fading.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.