S. Korea is provisionally fifth among the 12 third-place teams, with several groups still to complete play. The top eight advance Son Heung-min after South Korea's match against South Africa on Wednesday (Yonhap) South Korea’s hopes of advancing to the Round of 32 at the World Cup have dimmed after the team slipped to fifth place in the race among third-place teams, with several groups still to complete their final group-stage matches through Sunday (Korea time).Ecuador on Friday secured a 2-1 victory over Germany, the 2014 champions, finishing third in Group E and putting the South American country at the top of the standings among the 12 third-place teams.Under the tournament’s expanded 48-team format, the eight best third-place teams advance to the Round of 32 alongside the top two finishers from each group.Third-place teams are ranked first by points, then by goal difference, goals scored, fair play points and, if necessary, FIFA ranking.Ecuador finished third with four points, ending the group stage with one win, one draw and one loss and an even goal difference. The record was enough to send Ecuador to the top of the standings among the 12 third-place teams and secure its spot in the Round of 32.South Korea faces a much tougher wait.The Taegeuk Warriors finished third in Group A with three points, one win, two losses and a minus-one goal difference, dropping them to fifth in the race for the eight best third-place spots and leaving their fate dependent on the results from the remaining groups.