4 Takeaways From South Korea’s Comeback Win Over Czechia In Group A

In an entertaining nightcap to conclude the opening day of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, South Korea surged late to secure a comeback win.

After a frustrating first half that saw South Korea dominate without scoring, Czechia opened the scoring with a set-piece goal from captain Ladislav Krejčí. From there, however, it only served as a wake-up call for South Korea, which raised its game considerably and got impressive goals from In-Beom Hwang and Hyun-Gyu Oh. 

Here are my takeaways:

1. South Korea’s Persistence Pays Off

The game opened with South Korea dominating possession and Czechia sitting back patiently with a focus on team defense. That was to be expected as Czechia is a team that has been reliant on its defense for years.

But South Korea won this game by not becoming frustrated, when it easily could have. Despite creating several chances in the final 10 minutes of the first half, South Korea headed to the locker room at halftime empty-handed.

Then, in the second half, Czechia took the lead completely against the run of play through its biggest strength on a set-piece goal from Krejčí.

At a time when South Korea could have either crumbled under pressure, panicked or forced chances, the team stuck with its game plan and remained focused on its attack. Eventually, the Taegeuk Warriors were rewarded with a brilliant goal in the 67th minute when Lee Kang-In delivered a brilliant pass that found Hwang, who chipped Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovár after some impressive footwork.

From there, it only seemed like a matter of time before South Korea found the winner. That indeed came when Hwang moved down the right side and set up substitute Oh for a close-range finish.

South Korea head coach Myung-Bo Hong deserves a lot of credit. First, his decisions were spot on. Removing captain and team legend Son Heung-min in the 69th minute is one that could have been viewed controversially if it did not work, but Oh came on and found the winner. 

But more than his tactical decisions, Hong instilled a lot of resolve into his team. Comeback wins are never easy at the World Cup, and they require the team to have a strong mentality. That typically stems from the coach.

2. Czechia Needs More Than Just Set Pieces

Coming into this game, Czechia’s game plan was no secret. Its biggest strength is its ability to score on set pieces. In World Cup qualifying, 11 of its 22 goals were through set pieces. That only continued after 74-year-old head coach Miroslav Koubek was hired in December. In the playoff round of UEFA qualifying in March, Czechia played Ireland and Denmark to 2-2 draws before winning both games in shootouts. All four goals were from set pieces.

Krejčí, a central defender who most recently played for Wolverhampton in the Premier League on loan from Girona in Spain, has been especially dominant. He scored in both the wins over Ireland and Denmark. Now, he can add a World Cup goal to his resume.

In the 78th minute, Czechia nearly scored again from a set piece when Tomáš Souček headed home a free kick, but it was ruled offside on a very tight decision.

To make a run in the World Cup, Czechia will need a more balanced and varied attack. The team simply did not create much from open play against Korea.

Despite coming up short, Czechia has a realistic path to the knockout round. A win over South Africa could be enough, given that eight of the 12 third-place teams advance, and it also has a catchup with Mexico.

3. Son’s Frustrations For South Korea

Son Heung-min is the most successful Korean player of all time, with a stellar European career between Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham, where he spent most of his career and eventually rose to the team’s captain. In 2025, he moved to Los Angeles FC in MLS. His first season in MLS was strong with nine goals in 10 games, but 2026 has been a nightmare with no goals in 13 games.

It was an open question how that slump would carry over into this World Cup. Son was active and involved in dangerous chances. It seemed like a goal was coming for him, and his best opportunities came at the end of the first half, including a scuffed chance from deep inside the Czechia box. In the second half, he continued to threaten and had the best chance of the game in the 56th minute, which forced a save from close range. 

Ultimately, he was subbed off in the 69th without contributing to a goal. Now, the pressure will continue to mount on him. South Korea played its best soccer after Son was subbed out, but the team will ultimately need Son to capitalize if it wants to win knockout games. He remains essential to the team hitting its potential.

4. Kang-In Lee And Hwang Were South Korea’s Stars

The two best players on the field in this game were South Korea’s Lee and Hwang. Both players combined for the equalizer, but that tells only part of the story of just how good both players were. 

Lee, a reserve midfielder for recent Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, was the driving force behind South Korea’s attack throughout the entire game. Even in the first half, when the game was scoreless, typically every promising attack originated from him. In the second half, he elevated his game.

Hwang was the game’s best player as he scored and assisted in a dominant second half. The Feyenoord midfielder, who also played for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019-2020, made the impressive big plays that took Czechia out of its well-organized defensive shell and opened the game.

4 ½. What’s Next?

South Korea and Mexico both picked up three points in Group A on Thursday, but South Korea currently sits second in the group due to goal differential. It will get the chance to leapfrog El Tri in the standings in their meeting at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.

Czechia is third in Group A with zero points and a goal differential of minus-1. It will play last-place South Africa in its second group stage match on Thursday.