South Korea Start World Cup With 2-1 Win Over Czech Republic

South Korea began their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday, finally converting their dominance into goals late in the match.

The Korean side, led by Son Heung-min, controlled the first half but struggled to find the back of the net. Son himself missed a clear opportunity, blasting one effort over the bar and shooting wide after a skillful run past two defenders.

Against the run of play, the Czechs took the lead early in the second half when Ladislav Krejci headed home. However, South Korea's pressure eventually paid off. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute with a clever finish, faking a shot before caressing the ball over the goalkeeper. He later turned provider, crossing for substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu to score the decisive goal in the 80th minute.

Son sank to the turf in relief and joy as the final whistle blew. South Korea's next challenge in Group A is a match against co-hosts Mexico on June 18. The Czech Republic will play South Africa on the same day.

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Until the 80th-minute mark it seemed that the Czechs would punish the Koreans’ wastefulness, but substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the decisive goal