South Korea made it two wins from two for the Group A favourites. Son Heung-min's side beat Czechia 2-1 on June 11, a tight contest that they shaded when it mattered to open their World Cup with three points.
It was not the comfortable evening Mexico had enjoyed a night earlier, but it was arguably the more valuable kind of result — a one-goal win earned against a side that pushed them.
A game that lived on small margins
The single-goal margin captures the shape of this one. Czechia were no passengers; they found their way back into the match and made South Korea work for the points rather than handing them over.
South Korea's edge came in the moments that decide tight games — the finishing, the composure, the willingness to keep going when the contest threatened to slip into a draw. Czechia's reply ensured the closing stages carried real tension, but Korea managed the finish well enough to protect their advantage.
For a side built around pace and front-foot intent, the ability to win a scrappy 2-1 rather than a flowing rout is the more useful proof of concept this early in a tournament.
Son's leadership at the front
This remains Son Heung-min's team, and his presence shaped the contest. South Korea's threat runs through their captain, and the win bore the hallmarks of a side that knows where its danger comes from and leans into it.
The value of a player of his standing on a night like this is not only in goals but in steadiness — the sense that a one-goal lead is safe in the hands of a team led by someone who has navigated big games before. Korea needed that calm as Czechia chased an equaliser, and they found it.
Three points on opening night, against a European side that did not roll over, is a statement of intent from a team that fancies its chances of escaping this group.
Czechia left to rue the margins
Czechia will feel they were closer than the result suggests. Their goal kept them in the contest deep into the match, and a different bounce or two might have brought a share of the spoils.
Instead they leave matchday one with nothing, bottom of the group alongside South Africa on goal difference, and facing the reality that both group favourites have already banked wins. The performance offered encouragement; the table offered none.
In a group of four where points are scarce and the qualification math is unforgiving, an opening defeat — however narrow — puts immediate pressure on everything that follows.
Where it leaves Group A
South Korea's win, paired with Mexico's, leaves Group A neatly split. The two pre-tournament favourites sit on three points apiece, Mexico ahead only on goal difference, while Czechia and South Africa share the bottom two places on zero.
For Korea, the platform is exactly what they wanted: a win in the bank, momentum established, and a head-to-head group picture that now favours the two sides who took their chances on the opening matchday.
The verdict
A 2-1 win is rarely the prettiest result, but it is often the most instructive. South Korea showed they can win tight, manage a lead, and rely on their captain when the game demands it.
Czechia head into their remaining fixtures knowing the performance was competitive but the points are gone. South Korea move on with maximum return and a clear sense of who they are.
Sources
- Group A standings after matchday 1: Mexico 3pts (GD +2), South Korea 3pts (GD +1), Czechia 0, South Africa 0.
Kickoff XI is an independent publication and is not affiliated with FIFA.
