"Atmosphere is at Its Best"... Offense and Defense United as 'One Team'

[Anchor]

The victory against the Czech Republic was a result achieved by our national team working as one. It wasn't just the players in the spotlight, but everyone who silently did their part that laid the foundation for this win. The team is determined to unite once again and show their true potential in the upcoming match against Mexico.

Bae Jeonghun reports.

[Reporter]

Four years ago, during the Round of 16 match against Brazil at the Qatar World Cup, Paik Seung-ho experienced his first World Cup by coming on as a substitute for Hwang In-beom and delivering a powerful long-range shot. Now, he has firmly secured a starting position and paved the way for Oh Hyeon-gyu's come-from-behind winning goal with a brilliant one-touch pass in the recent match against the Czech Republic.

Having grown into Hwang In-beom's "midfield partner," he is now preparing for the match against Mexico.

[Paik Seung-ho/National Football Team Midfielder: We started off on the right foot in the first match, and we are preparing in a really great atmosphere. If we continue to prepare and enjoy the process like we are now, I think we will get a good result.]

Lee Ki-hyuk, a central defender who was a "surprise selection" after his stellar performance in the K-League, led the team to victory alongside Kim Min-jae with a level of stability that was hard to believe for a World Cup debut.

He won the most aerial duels on the team, neutralizing the tall Czech squad, and consistently cleared the ball while cutting off passing lanes.

He plans to give everything he has against Mexico, led by Premier Leaguer Raul Jimenez and Saudi League top scorer Julian Quinones.

[Lee Ki-hyuk/National Football Team Defender: All the players have truly shed blood, sweat, and tears to prepare for this. We will put in a lot of effort to make it clear that we are running even harder, almost as if we are risking our lives for it.]

From the 11 players on the pitch to the Taegeuk Warriors on the bench passionately cheering them on,

the team, united as "one," is determined to write a new history in the match against Mexico, an opponent they have never defeated in the World Cup.

[Jo Wi-je/National Football Team Defender: Even the players who didn't get to play in the match had such a strong desire to win, and I think those feelings were conveyed to the players who were on the pitch.]

(Reported by Hwang In-seok | Video by Jeon Min-gyu | Graphics by Han Song-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.