World Cup Group Stage - 1
South Korea 2 - 1 FT Czechia
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
HT
L. Krejci (V. Coufal) 59'
62' ↓ Lee Jae-Sung ↑Hwang Hee-Chan
↓ P. Sulc ↑A. Hlozek 64'
↓ P. Schick ↑T. Chory 64'
↓ L. Provod ↑M. Sadilek 64'
67' Hwang In-Beom (Lee Kang-In)
69' ↓ Lee Tae-Seok ↑Eom Ji-Sung
69' ↓ Son Heung-Min ↑Oh Hyeon-Gyu
T. Soucek 77'
80' Oh Hyeon-Gyu (Hwang In-Beom)
84' ↓ Hwang In-Beom ↑Kim Jin-Gyu
84' ↓ Paik Seung-Ho ↑Park Jin-Seob
↓ A. Sojka ↑M. Chytil 85'
90'+6 Lee Gi-Hyuk
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
South Korea
Goalkeepers
Kim Seung-gyu 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Han-Beom Lee 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Kim Min-jae 
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
51%
Pass Acc
Gi-Hyuk Lee 
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
6
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Midfielders
Young-woo Seol
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hwang In-beom 
MAGNET
85
Activity
85
Activity
81
Passes
4
Duels
Seung Ho Paik
LATE SHIFT
6
Late Mins
6
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
84
Entry
Lee Tae-seok
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
69
Total Mins
69
Entry
Forwards
Kang-in Lee
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
37%
Pass Acc
Jae-sung Lee
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
26%
Pass Acc
Son Heung-min
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
2
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
BENCH
Jo Hyeonwoo 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Song Bum-keun
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Kim Moon-hwan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Wi-je Cho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kim Tae-hyeon
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dong-gyeong Lee
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jens Castrop
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jin-gyu Kim
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jin-seob Park
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jun-Ho Bae
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hwang Hee-chan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
34
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ji-sung Eom
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
27
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hyeon-gyu Oh 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
Gue-sung Cho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yang Hyun-Jun
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Czechia
Goalkeepers
Matěj Kovář
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Štěpán Chaloupek
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Robin Hranáč
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ladislav Krejčí 
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
Midfielders
Vladimír Coufal 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.5
Rating
Tomáš Souček
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alexandr Sojka
LATE SHIFT
5
Late Mins
5
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
85
Entry
Jaroslav Zelený
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
96
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Forwards
Lukáš Provod
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
64
Entry
Pavel Šulc
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
64
Entry
Patrik Schick
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
64
Entry
BENCH
Jindřich Staněk
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Lukáš Horníček
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
David Jurásek
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
David Zima
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tomáš Holeš
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Michal Sadílek
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
32
Total Mins
Started
Entry
David Douděra
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Denis Višinský
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hugo Sochurek
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Lukáš Červ
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Vladimír Darida
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Adam Hložek
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
32
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tomáš Chorý
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
32
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jan Kuchta
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mojmír Chytil
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
South Korea Flip the Script in Akron Thriller
Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 52/100. A dramatic late comeback proved South Korea's mental resilience on the grandest stage.
The Opening Act
Early tactical chess at Estadio Akron saw South Korea dominate possession, holding the ball for a massive 62% of the match. Yet, despite their clear territorial control, the breakthrough eluded them. The Balance of the tie shifted dramatically in the 59th minute. V. Coufal picked out L. Krejci, who fired the Czech Republic into a surprising lead. Against the run of play, the European side had struck first, testing the resolve of a Korean squad that had looked comfortable but lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
The Pivot
The response was swift and ruthless. Pushed by the sheer Stakes of opening their World Cup account with a defeat, South Korea dialled up the pressure. Lee Kang-In worked his creative magic to set up Hwang In-Beom for a crucial 67th-minute equaliser. However, the true turning point arrived ten minutes later. T. Soucek thought he had restored the Czech lead, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out for offside. That massive let-off completely shifted the momentum back to the Asian giants.
Resolution
Surviving that scare, South Korea unleashed a blistering finish. The Intensity peaked when a managerial roll of the dice paid immediate dividends. Just moments after the VAR drama, Oh Hyeon-Gyu latched onto a brilliant pass from Hwang In-Beom to seal the 2-1 victory in the 80th minute. Meanwhile, at the other end, Kim Seung-gyu remained an absolute rock, making three crucial saves to preserve the narrow lead. This brilliant opening-day comeback sets the perfect tone for a squad with genuine ambitions of a deep tournament run.
Key Questions
What made Hwang In-beom the Man of the Match?
He was the ultimate midfield engine, delivering a crucial equalising goal and setting up the winning strike for Oh Hyeon-Gyu to complete a flawless performance.
How did South Korea complete the comeback from behind?
They dominated possession and maintained relentless pressure. Following Krejci's opener, Hwang In-Beom equalised, a Czech goal was disallowed by VAR, and substitute Oh Hyeon-Gyu grabbed the late winner.
What does this mean for South Korea's season?
Securing three points after falling behind in their World Cup opener provides massive momentum, putting them in prime position to advance from the group stage.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Group Stage Gridlock: South Korea Meet Czech Republic
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 39/100. An incredibly tight matchup where defensive solidity and tactical discipline will take precedence over attacking flair.
The Setup
Estadio Akron hosts a gritty opening fixture on June 12, 2026, as two evenly matched nations begin their World Cup campaigns. A modest Form rating for both sides suggests they enter this tournament searching for rhythm, making this a potentially slow burn. The defining feature of this tie is the off-the-charts Balance—with win probabilities separated by a microscopic margin, this is a genuine coin toss. In the pressure cooker of a World Cup group stage, game one operates essentially as a knockout tie; drop all three points here, and your survival hopes are instantly placed on life support. The distinct lack of marquee Stars on the pitch means collective tactical discipline will have to triumph over individual moments of brilliance, even with early tournament Stakes keeping the initial pressure somewhat contained.
Key Battle
With neither side boasting overwhelming attacking firepower, the central midfield battleground will absolutely dictate the tempo of this encounter. The South Korea engine room must find a creative way to break down a rigidly organized Czech Republic defensive block that will likely sit deep and look to frustrate. Expect a highly cautious chess match where set-piece deliveries, picking up second balls, and capitalizing on fleeting transition moments become the ultimate difference-makers.
Our Prediction
A tense, low-scoring draw seems the safest bet. Neither side will want to risk total exposure on matchday one, prioritizing a clean sheet over an attacking adventure. A stubborn stalemate looks the most credible outcome, leaving both teams with a mountain of work to do in their remaining group fixtures.