June 12, 2026
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said his team had followed his pre-match instructions to the letter after they staged a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic in their World Cup Group A opener on Thursday.
After falling behind to a second-half header from Ladislav Krejci, the Koreans rallied through goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu to secure three crucial points in Guadalajara.
"Before the match I gave two messages: not give up until the end and unite as one," he told a press conference. "Whether on the pitch or not, we need to play as one team."
The victory came despite an uncharacteristic off-day for captain Son Heung-min, who missed five chances in the first half alone before being replaced by eventual match-winner Oh.
