A entertaining game in the second half of Group A saw South Korea v Czech Republic go end to end, and the lead change hands a few times. South Korea were arguably the better side throughout, but the Czechs showed their danger from set pieces with one goal from a throw-in and another almost went in. Crucial moment in the second half saw Czechia take the lead 2-1 only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. Not long later the South Koreans took the lead and didn’t give it back.
South Korea v Czech Republic Match Summary
Here are the bits and pieces and minutes that mattered during the game, to provide you with as much information as you need in one minute, or at least allow you to fast forward the SBS coverage.
SETTING THE SCENE
A lot to live up to hype-wise for this second game of the World Cup, with the other of Group A to give the host nation a look at who they have to beat for the remaining group games. It’s the first World Cup for Czechia since 2006, so long ago the country was known as the Czech Republic. South Korea are regulars now, having not missed a World Cup since the 1986 World Cup, also in Mexico. A win isn’t critical yet, but it will sure help.
11th Min – First big chance of the match goes to South Korea, a brilliant ball over the Czech defence is met by South Korea but is smothered by the Czech defence as he shoots and again with a follow up. From the corner the South Koreans force the Czech goalkeeper into another fine save.
14th Min – South Korea are at it again, another shot at goal that produces a fine save and the follow up is blocked again. Czech defending well but South Korea bossing it. Although Czechia aka Czech Republic go down the other end with a chance and follow up corner too. Decent end to end action this is.
22nd Min – Another corner for Czechia aka Czech Republic, this is a danger for South Korea given that Czechia were very good at it through World Cup qualifying.
26th Min – Czechia’s Šulc has to go to the bench to replace his shirt which has been torn apart. One does wonder if Czechia are getting cheap ones from Facebook via China.
38th Min – Shot from Son just misses over the bar and less than a minute he misses to the left. He only has a miss to the right to complete the perfect miss triumvirate.
45th Min + – South Korea end the half really challenging the Czech goal, but for no end result. You’d have to argue South Korea are on top and that Czechia aka Czech Republic can’t hold on forever.
HALF TIME SOUTH KOREA 0 CZECHIA 0
49th Min – Huge double save from the Czech keeper as South Korea put on the best attack of the second half so far, which is good going so close to half time. Replays show that both were half chances at best, but I guess two halves make a whole eh?
51st Min – South Korea are really getting into it with a few attacking raids just falling short of a decent shot at goal, but if you had one of those momentum trackers they have on rugby league coverage it would be showing to South Korea. Well, I do have one, it’s how loud the commentator raises his voice, but if he doesn’t change accent and I’ve got my head down eating soup for lunch it’s hard to tell which team is doing well.
55th Min – Big chance for Son Heung-Min who has a ball put through perfectly and is 1-1 with the keeper in the penalty area but the keeper smothers and does well. Score remains 0-0, but like pop radio in 2012 South Korea is all over it at the moment.
59th Min – GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
And against the run of play, and momentum tracker Czechia aka Czech Republic have taken the lead through KrejÄŤĂ. It’s a classic 2025-26 goal, a long throw into the box by Coufal and the defender runs onto the ball at pace at the near post on the six yard box and smashes it in via his head, too hot for the keeper to do anything there.
SOUTH KOREA 0 CZECHIA 1
65th Min – Bit of an arm wrestle now, with Czech substitutes slowing things down, but not a bad moment to look at where the South Korean player hits a backpass to the keeper from the halfway line which the keeper had to chest. Solid work, from the keeper.
67th Min – GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
A beautiful through ball from the halfway finds South Korea’s Hwang In-Beom who collects on the edge of the box, then stops, jinks, pivots to avoid the keeper and rushing defenders and kind-of scoops the ball over the top of the keeper, and the ball almost teasingly rolls into the goal as another Czech defender chases forlornly.
SOUTH KOREA 1 CZECHIA 1
77th Min – Free kick in good position for Czechia aka Czech Republic who were specialists at the art in UEFA qualifying. Out on the left five metres from the penalty area. It’s a good looking ball into the penalty area and…………
GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL
But NOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL. Offside has been called.
It’s Soucek with the bullet header that gave the South Korean keeper no chance, but disallowed.
80th Min – – GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Since the near miss South Korea were pressuring the Czech goal and they finally break through. A great ball over the top of the defence down the right leads to a cross back into the box from the first goal scorer Hwang In-Beom and South Korea’s Oh Hyeon-Gyu is in the right place at the right time with a first touch that the keeper gets a hand to and he stands flat footed, but it was a mere high five on the ball as it heads into the net.
SOUTH KOREA 2 CZECH REPUBLIC 1
82nd Min – Czechs go close to equalising…..another long throw in from Coufal from the same spot as their first goal, it lands around the same spot, and after a bit of a ruck on the six yard line the ball lands at the feet of Hložek who kicks it goalward but the keeper gets enough in the way to save it.
90th Min – Six minutes of injury time, and truth be told South Korea look in charge. They’ve been the better and more dangerous side this half, but they have also been down 0-1 and 1-2 before an offside flag saved them.
90th Min +3 – Sooooooooo close for Czechia aka Czech Republic. A forward drive from the Czechs sees the ball passed to SadĂlek who shoots first time with a decent effort but a more decent effort from the South Korea keeper has saved them. Say it might be the last chance for Czechia aka Czech Republic, but it may not be. Whilst typing this both teams had another decent shot at goal.
90th Min +6 – First yellow card of the game. Unbelievable.
90th Min +7 – Czechia aka Czech Republic are on the attack one final time before the full time whistle, and they are pressing well and the ball falls to a player on the edge of the penalty area, and he effectively air swings. The whistle blows seconds later to complete the misery.
FULL TIME – SOUTH KOREA 2 CZECH REPUBLIC 1
Here’s as many stats as we could steal from other places just for you.
FIFA World Cup regulars South Korea take on the returning Czech Republic in the other Group A match to start the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A South Korea v Czech Republic Match Centre will provide an overview of the before and after with a Pre-Game Summary, Match Review and Post-Match stats.
South Korea v Czech Republic Preview
STATS SUMMARY
RATINGS
The Gurgler’s in-house Ratings system chooses the winner.
| South Korea | 56.3% | Czech Republic | 43.7% |
BARELY INTERESTING STATS
Czech Republic won their only previous World Cup opener in 2006.
South Korea’s World Cup opener record is W3 D3 L5. In their first World Cup in 1954 they lost 9-0 and 7-0.
South Korea have won their last two World Cup games v UEFA nations, beating no less than Portugal and Germany.
South Korea qualified on top of their group and didn’t lose a game in the final round.
Czech Republic finished second in their qualifying group and beat Ireland and Denmark in the playoffs. They drew both games 2-2 and won on penalties.
MATCH PREDICTION
SOUTH KOREA 1 CZECH REPUBLIC 1
