South Korea v Czechia: Hwang In-Beom Inspires Comeback in World Cup Group A Opener

• Hwang In-Beom scored the equalizer and set up Oh Hyeon-Gyu’s winner as South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 at Guadalajara Stadium.
• Ladislav Krejci’s 59th-minute header gave Czechia their first World Cup goal in almost exactly 20 years, but the lead lasted just eight minutes.
• Son Heung-Min had multiple chances to score in his fourth World Cup but was denied by goalkeeper Matej Kovar and his own finishing.

South Korea Rally from a Goal Down to Extend Winning Run Against European Opposition

South Korea fought back from a goal down to beat Czechia 2-1 in their Group A opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Hwang In-Beom producing the performance of the match with a goal and an assist in the space of 13 second-half minutes at Guadalajara Stadium.

Hong Myung-Bo’s side dominated possession and created the better chances throughout, but were unable to convert their superiority into goals before the break. Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovar saved a fierce left-footed strike from Lee Kang-In in the 14th minute, and Son Heung-Min sent a couple of decent opportunities wide before failing to connect properly with another chance in first-half stoppage time. Both sets of players were jeered by the crowd as they left the pitch at the interval.

Son was denied again 11 minutes into the second half, finding Kovar in his path once more. Czechia then struck against the run of play in the 59th minute. Captain Ladislav Krejci rose to meet a long throw from the right by Vladimir Coufal and powered a header past Kim Seung-Gyu in the Korean goal. The header was Czechia’s first World Cup goal in almost 20 years to the day, their previous effort coming when Tomas Rosicky scored the third in a 3-0 group-stage win against the United States on June 12, 2006.

The lead lasted eight minutes. Hwang restored parity with a classy finish in the 67th, cutting inside before dinking the ball home after a sharp pass into his path from Lee Kang-In. Hwang then turned provider in the 80th minute, delivering a low ball in from the right that Oh Hyeon-Gyu tucked away to complete the turnaround.

Czechia threw everything forward in search of an equalizer. Adam Hlozek forced Kim into a superb save in the 82nd minute, but South Korea held on. The result extended their run of consecutive World Cup victories over European opposition to three, following wins over Portugal in 2022 (2-1) and Germany in 2018 (2-0).

The squad celebrated with their fans behind one of the goals after the final whistle, posing for a group photo with supporters behind them. The announced attendance at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium was 44,985, a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino, though sections in the middle of the stands had visible clusters of empty seats.

Son Heung-Min, appearing in his fourth World Cup, was looking to become South Korea’s all-time leading World Cup scorer and the Asian player with the most goals in the tournament. The 33-year-old former Tottenham forward, now playing for LAFC, entered the match with three goals across three previous tournaments but could not add to that tally despite multiple opportunities.

Hwang In-Beom was named the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.

“It was our first game and a very difficult one. The win itself makes me happy, but what’s even more positive is that our boys won by not giving up. I knew that we were more than capable of winning, so at 1-1 I told the boys to keep playing the way we’ve been playing. Now, Mexico is another important match. We will spend the next week to prepare properly,” South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo said.

Oh Hyeon-Gyu, who scored the winner, revealed he had been struggling with illness before kickoff.

“I cannot explain my emotions in words. My body temperature today had gone up to 38 degrees, because I wasn’t feeling well. I wondered if I could even play. It was possible thanks to our staff and the medical team,” Oh said.

Czechia coach Miroslav Koubek conceded the result was fair but felt his side were not far away from a different outcome.

“Probably the better team won,” Koubek said. But he added that his team could have had a better result if it weren’t for “some mistakes.”

“We played very well, it could have been a draw, and we could have won as well,” Koubek said.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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