South Korea stage comeback to beat Czech Republic

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

South Korea came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup on Friday, scoring twice in the second half to secure a dramatic victory.

The Koreans dominated large spells of the contest but found themselves trailing just before the hour mark when Czech defender Ladislav Krejci headed home from close range in the 59th minute to give his side a surprise lead.

Despite controlling possession and creating numerous opportunities, South Korea struggled to find a breakthrough until In-Beom Hwang produced a moment of brilliance in the 67th minute. The midfielder collected a pass inside the penalty area and delicately lifted the ball over goalkeeper Matej Kovar to restore parity.

The Czech Republic thought they had regained the lead in the 77th minute when captain Tomas Soucek headed into the top corner from a set-piece. However, celebrations were cut short after a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside.

The decision proved costly as South Korea completed the turnaround three minutes later. In-Beom Hwang delivered a dangerous cross into the area and substitute Hyeon-Gyu Oh met it perfectly, firing into the centre of the net to put the Asians ahead for the first time.

South Korea had threatened throughout the game, registering far more goal attempts than their opponents and repeatedly testing Kovar, who produced several important saves to keep the Czech Republic in the contest.

The Europeans pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages, with Adam Hlozek and Michal Sadilek both going close, but goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim stood firm to preserve the lead.

The match attracted a crowd of 44,985 spectators and ended on a sour note for the Czech Republic as defender Ladislav Krejci was sent off late in the game.