South Korea Comeback Stuns Czechia, Ex-Zvezda Star Shines
Czechia led in Zapopan but threw it away inside twenty minutes. Hwang In-beom, once a Red Star man, dragged South Korea to their first three points at the World Cup.
- South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 in Zapopan in their group opener.
- Former Red Star man Hwang In-beom levelled in the 67th minute, substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu won it in the 80th.
- Czechia returned to the World Cup after 20 years, but marked their comeback with a defeat.
The South Korea bench was already on its feet when Hwang In-beom set off through the heart of the Czech defence. The stands in Zapopan fell quiet for a second, just long enough for him to slide the ball into a corner the keeper could not reach. The man who not long ago wore the Red Star shirt lifted his whole team with one move, and from that moment the match had only one master.
It did not start that way. Czechia arrived in the Mexican city of Zapopan wanting to mark their first World Cup appearance in two decades with a win, and for a long stretch it looked like they would get it. Ladislav Krejci found the net in the 59th minute to put his side ahead, and the Czechs even had a goal chalked off for offside. Everything was running to their plan. Then, inside twenty minutes, it all slipped away.
How did the match turn?
The comeback did not fall from the sky. After conceding, the Koreans tightened the tempo, pushed the Czechs back onto their own half and waited for a crack. Hwang In-beom found it first, driving through the middle and levelling in the 67th minute to restore belief across the side. His European experience showed there. That run is no improvisation, it is a player who knows when to accelerate and where to go.
The manager then made a call worth remembering. He sent on Oh Hyeon-gyu, and the substitute repaid him at once. In the 80th minute the young striker punished a mess in the Czech back line and scored for 2-1, the goal that settled everything. A short bench is no problem when the man who comes on makes a difference like this. Czechia chased an equaliser late on but without a real idea, like a team that still does not believe the win has slipped from its grasp.
What does this mean for the group?
Three points to open a World Cup are worth double, and not just for the table. South Korea showed character, the ability to take a blow and answer it, and teams like that tend to travel far at major tournaments. Hwang In-beom is already one of the faces of this competition, and the Red Star fans who watched him in Belgrade surely enjoyed every touch.
For Czechia, this is a cold shower. After twenty years of waiting, their return to the biggest stage began with a defeat from a winning position, the kind of loss that stings the most. They must regroup quickly, because the group leaves no room for another stumble like this. And you, do you believe Korea with this Hwang can reach the knockout stage?
