"Why Take Son Out?": Overseas Reaction to Hong Myung-bo's Tactics

A renowned British football commentator has highly praised head coach Hong Myung-bo's substitution tactics.

Clinton Morrison, a commentator for the British broadcaster BBC, spoke about the decision by coach Hong to substitute Son Heung-min for Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 69th minute of the match against the Czech Republic in the Group A opener of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. He remarked, "At the time, I didn't think it was the right decision to take off the captain, Son Heung-min."

However, he continued, "It was the right decision, and Oh Hyeon-gyu brought the victory to South Korea," adding, "This is exactly why managers get paid the big bucks in these major tournaments," as he heaped praise on coach Hong Myung-bo.

Commentator Morrison added, "South Korea knew how big this win was. This victory will bring huge confidence to South Korea and will help them move forward to reach the knockout stage."

He also did not hold back his praise, stating, "I think South Korea will advance to the knockout stage. Even when they were trailing, they showed the strength to never give up and fight back."

Foreign media outlets also continued to shower the South Korean team with praise for their comeback victory.

The local Mexican media outlet Marca Mexico evaluated the win, saying, "South Korea's comeback victory against the Czech Republic was well-deserved. They have taken their first step toward advancing to the next round."

Fox Sports in the United States also praised national team midfielder Hwang In-beom, who recorded one goal and one assist, describing his performance as a "stunning equalizer that broke the opponent's ankles."

The World Cup national team led by coach Hong secured a 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic in the Group A opener of the North and Central America World Cup, held at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico at 11:00 AM today (June 12, KST), thanks to consecutive goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu.

The World Cup national team will play their second Group A match against Mexico at 10:00 AM on June 19, KST.

Reported by Kim Ji-wook | Video by Choi Kang-san | Graphics by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.