Korea's defender Kim Min-jae looks dejected after the team's second group match against Mexico at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, Thursday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap
Korea's 1-0 loss to Mexico in their Group A showdown at the FIFA World Cup on Thursday came on a combination of their lack of precision and a stroke of bad luck.
The Taegeuk Warriors didn't quite have the clinical touch to finish off their opportunities in the frustrating loss at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, western Mexico, while they gifted a goal to the home side in a preventable miscue.
The teams didn't score in a careful first half, though Korea made their intent clear. They wanted to hold on to the ball and bide their time trying to find space behind the defense, not to be deterred by groans and whistles from a restless, partisan Mexican crowd in the stands.
Some active off-the-ball movements gave Korea some dangerous looks but their timing was just a tiny bit off — leading to four offside violations in the first half alone.
