South Korea kicked off their World Cup journey with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday. They finally scored after missing many chances throughout the match.
Up until the 80th minute, it looked like the Czechs might take advantage of South Korea's missed opportunities. However, substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu came in and scored the winning goal in a Guadalajara stadium that had many empty seats.
Son Heung-min and his teammates controlled the first half but could not find the back of the net. Son, a former Tottenham player, shot one chance over the bar. He also made a strong run to his left, dodging two Czech defenders but ended up shooting wide.
The second half kicked off with the Czechs scoring first against the flow of the game. Ladislav Krejci jumped at the front post to head the ball past Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
Hwang In-beom turned the tide for South Korea with a smart equalizer. He faked a shot and gently lifted the ball over Czech goalkeeper Matek Kovar in the 67th minute.
The Czechs had a goal ruled out for offside before Hwang set up Oh for the winning goal. Hwang crossed from the right, and Oh finished it off calmly.
When the referee blew the final whistle, Son fell to the ground in celebration.
Next, South Korea will face co-hosts Mexico, who won 2-0 against South Africa in the opening Group A match earlier on Thursday. This match will take place on June 18. The Czech Republic will play against South Africa in Atlanta on the same day.
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