First World Cup Opening Match Win in 16 Years; Green Light for Round of 32

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The South Korean national football team, competing in the North and Central American World Cup, has secured a thrilling come-from-behind victory against the Czech Republic, thanks to an equalizer by Hwang In-beom and a winning goal by Oh Hyeon-gyu. This marks the first time in 16 years that the team has won its opening match of the World Cup, signaling a bright outlook for advancing to the Round of 32.

We have the first report from Mexico, where Lee Jung-chan is on the scene.

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With both Korean supporters and Mexican fans cheering in unison for a South Korean victory,

[Let's go! Korea!!]

The Taegeuk Warriors dominated the match but struggled to break through the Czech defense.

In the 14th minute of the second half, they conceded the opening goal to 191cm tall defender Ladislav Krejčí, who scored with a header.

Despite being in a difficult position, our players did not give up.

In the 22nd minute of the second half, Hwang In-beom received a precise through pass from Lee Kang-in, cut inside to throw off the opposing defender and goalkeeper, and scored the equalizer with a delicate right-footed chip shot.

Then, in the 35th minute of the second half, "super sub" Oh Hyeon-gyu turned the game around.

He finished a cross from Hwang In-beom, the scorer of the first goal, who had penetrated the space behind the defense, sending the stadium into a frenzy with his left-footed strike.

Following this, the national team overcame threats to their goal with a series of "super saves" by goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, sealing a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo, who orchestrated the comeback with a bold tactical substitution—replacing captain Son Heung-min with Oh Hyeon-gyu—earned his first win in his second World Cup as a manager.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Head Coach: The fact that our players did not give up and fought until the end to secure the win will have a very significant positive effect on our team.]

After defeating the Czech Republic, a team expected to be a rival for second place in the group, international statistics firms have raised South Korea's probability of advancing to the Round of 32 to 92.8%.

Having kicked off the tournament with their first opening-match win in 16 years, the national team will aim to secure an early spot in the Round of 32 when they face Mexico here again in one week.

(Reported by Hwang In-seok | Video edited by Park Jeong-sam | Graphics by Lee Jun-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.