South Korea finds World Cup hero in thrilling comeback win over Czechia
Hwang In-beom netted the equalizer and set up the match-winner to help South Korea rally past a Czechia side that opened the scoring through Ladislav Krejčí.
South Korea pulled off a thrilling comeback victory over Czechia thanks to a heroic performance from Hwang In-beom, who netted the equalizer and set up the winner after his side fell behind in the second half. The Feyenoord midfielder hadn’t recorded a goal or an assist since January, but he etched his name into World Cup lore with an unforgettable night.
From the opening whistle, the Asian side showcased superior build-up play and dynamic shot creation. Lee Kang-in sparked the early offense from the left wing, threatening both with a powerful long-range effort and several incisive through balls that his teammates failed to convert. Soon after, Son Heung-min weaponized his pace to unlock the defense, though the talismanic captain lacked his usual precision in front of goal.
As the match progressed, Hong Myung-bo’s squad intensified their attack while remaining rock-solid at the back under the leadership of center-back Kim Min-jae. However, a lack of clinical finishing—combined with a sharp performance from Czech goalkeeper Matěj Kovář—kept the match scoreless.
The flight of Krejcí
Throughout the first half, South Korea successfully neutralized Czechia’s dangerous set-pieces. But just as the match crossed the hour mark, a long throw-in caught the defense off guard. Ladislav Krejčí met the ball at the near post, power-heading it past the keeper to open the scoring in the 60th minute.
Yet, South Korea refused to capitulate, sticking strictly to their tactical blueprint and finally discovering the clinical edge that had eluded them all night. Just eight minutes after conceding, Hwang In-beom produced a moment of magic inside the box, shifting past his marker with a brilliant cutback before placing a sophisticated finish into the back of the net to level the score at 1-1. Ironically, the equalizer came just moments after Czech coach Ivan Hašek had made a triple substitution to try to lock down the victory.
In the 77th minute, Czechia thought they had restored their lead when Tomás Soucek met a looping free kick with a lethal header. However, the lanky midfielder had drifted past the backline too early, and the assistant referee correctly flagged the play for offside.
As the match devolved into a chaotic, end-to-end battle, South Korea capitalization on a ruthless counterattack. Hwang turned playmaker, slicing open the defense with a precise pass to Oh Hyeon-gyu, who hammered a first-time strike into the net to send the crowd in Guadalajara into a frenzy. Czechia poured bodies forward during stoppage time, but the South Korean defense held firm to secure a historic three points.
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- 1 Kim Seung-Gyu
- 2 Lee Han-Beom
- 3 Lee Gi-Hyuk
- 4 Kim Min-Jae
- 22 Seol Young-Woo
- 13 Lee Tae-Seok (68')
- 6 Hwang In-Beom (83')
- 8 Paik Seung-Ho (83')
- 10 Lee Jae-Sung (61')
- 19 Lee Kang-In
- 7 Heung-Min Son (68')
- Substitutes
- 17 Bae Jun-Ho
- 14 Cho Wi-Je
- 21 Cho Hyun-Woo
- 25 Eom Ji-Sung (68')
- 24 Kim Jin-Gyu (83')SC
- 26 Lee Dong-Kyeong
- 16 Park Jin-Seob (83')SC
- 20 Yang Hyun-Jun
- 11 Hwang Hee-Chan (61')
- 18 Oh Hyun-Gyu (68')
- 15 Moonhwan Kim
- 5 Kim Tae-Hyeon
- 12 Jordan Holt
- 23 Jens Castrop
- 9 Jo Gyu-Seong
- 1 Matej Kovar
- 4 Robin Hranác
- 6 Stepán Chaloupek
- 7 Ladislav Krejci
- 20 Jaroslav Zeleny
- 24 Alexandr Sojka (83')
- 5 Coufal
- 22 Tomas Soucek
- 17 Lukás Provod (63')
- 15 Pavel Sulc (63')
- 10 Schick (63')-
- Substitutes
- 8 Darida
- 26 Denis Visinsky
- 19 Tomas Chory (63')
- 13 Mojmír Chytil (83')SC
- 18 Michal Sadilek (63')
- 3 Tomas Holes
- 12 Lukás Cerv
- 23 Lukas Hornicek
- 9 Adam Hlozek (63')
- 16 Jindrich Stanek
- 2 David Zima
- 21 David Doudera
- 14 David Jurásek
- 25 Hugo Sochurek
- 11 Jan Kuchta
Substitutions
Hwang Hee-Chan (61', Lee Jae-Sung), Adam Hlozek (63', Pavel Sulc), Tomás Chory (63', Patrik Schick), Michal Sadílek (63', Lukás Provod), Eom Ji-Sung (68', Lee Tae-Seok), Oh Hyeon-Gyu (68', Son Heung-Min), Kim Jin-Gyu (83', Hwang In-Beom), Park Jin-Seob (83', Paik Seung-Ho), Mojmír Chytil (83', Alexandr Sojka)
Goals
0-1, 58': Ladislav Krejci, 1-1, 66': Hwang In-Beom, 2-1, 79': Oh Hyun-Gyu
Cards
Referee: Amin Mohamed Omar
VAR Referee: Mahmoud Ashour, Joe Dickerson
Lee Gi-Hyuk (95',Yellow)
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