'Ah!' Son Heung-min's missed opportunity, a bitter big chance... Korea and Czech Republic end the first half 0-0 without scoring

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean national football team failed to break through the solid defense of Czech Republic despite the sharp attacks of captain Son Heung-min (LAFC), ending the first half without scoring.

The South Korean national football team (ranked 25th), led by coach Hong Myung-bo, ended the first half 0-0 in the opening match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and Caribbean against Czech Republic (ranked 41st) at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the 12th at 11 a.m. (Korea time).

South Korea deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation. Son Heung-min started as the lone striker at the front, with Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) positioned as the second-line attacking midfielders. The midfield was built by Lee Tae-seok (Wien), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), and Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda). The three-man defensive line was guarded by Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), while Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) was responsible for the goal.

Czech Republic, led by coach Miroslav Koubek, countered with the same formation. Patrick Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) anchored the front line, supported by Pavel Šulc (Lyon) and Lukáš Procházka (Slavia Prague) in the second line.

The midfield was lined up with Vladimír Coufal (Hoffenheim), Aleksandar Suić (Viktoria Plzeň), Tomáš Souček (West Ham United), and David Jurásek (Slavia Prague). The defensive line consisted of Štěpán Halovský (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranáč (Hoffenheim), and Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton Wanderers) in a three-man backline, with Matej Kovář (PSV Eindhoven) in goal.

In the early stages of the match, Czech Republic held higher ball possession, attempting to strike into the South Korean penalty area with long balls. South Korea tried to pass into the space behind Son Heung-min from the central defensive line. In the 3rd minute, a pass from Lee Ki-hyuk reached Son Heung-min, but the Czech defense on the flank blocked it.

South Korea seized a decisive chance in the 13th minute of the first half. Lee Jae-sung received a pass into the space behind, but Son Heung-min's left-footed shot, intended to finish the play, hit the defense and went wide. In the subsequent corner kick situation, Lee Han-beom's header went over the goal. In the 14th minute, Lee Kang-in's sharp long-range shot directly targeted the right side of the Czech goal, but Czech goalkeeper Kovář leaped to barely deflect it.

Afterward, both teams continued with a somewhat frustrating flow, struggling to break through the opposing defense. As they had difficulty entering the final third, they attempted to target the space behind with long passes.

In the 39th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min's left-footed shot went wide of the goal. After dribbling past defenders, he took a left-footed shot from near the front of the penalty area, but the ball lacked spin and drifted to the left side of the goal. Son Heung-min's expression twisted in disappointment at missing the goal.

Even in stoppage time of the first half, luck did not favor them. Son Heung-min rushed toward the goal to push in Lee Tae-seok's left-footed cross with his right foot, but the ball struck him and flowed directly to the opposite flank.

Ultimately, no goals were scored before the end of the first half. South Korea and Czech Republic entered halftime locked at 0-0, unable to open the goal.

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*This content was translated by AI.