'The European top scorer had zero shots...' British media marvels at Kim Min-jae's ironclad defense: "Scheck endured a long, lonely night"

*This content was translated by AI.

'Monster defender' Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) displayed ironclad defense. Even Patrick Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), a former joint top scorer at the Euros, was completely silenced in front of Kim Min-jae.

The South Korean national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, secured a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in the opening match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, held at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, at 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korean time).

South Korea, trailing 0-1, equalized in the 22nd minute of the second half with a goal from midfielder Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord). In the 35th minute of the second half, forward Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), who came on as a substitute for 'Captain' Son Heung-min (LAFC), scored a thrilling comeback goal.

The solid defense also played a crucial role. Although they conceded one goal, the South Korean defense repeatedly blocked the Czech attack's flow in advance, laying the foundation for the team to secure the comeback victory. The center of it all was undoubtedly Kim Min-jae.

Kim Min-jae led the defense as part of a back three alongside Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland). Playing the full 90 minutes, he recorded six defensive plays, three clearances, two header clearances, and two interceptions. His aerial duel success rate was 80%, and his ground duel success rate was 50%.

Most importantly, Kim Min-jae earned high praise for perfectly neutralizing Czech key attacker Schick. Schick is a prominent striker who plays in the German Bundesliga alongside Kim Min-jae. Playing for Leverkusen, he contributed to the club's undefeated league title in the 2023-2024 season and was named joint top scorer at Euro 2020. Standing at 186cm with excellent physical attributes, he is a versatile attacker capable of playing not only as a central striker but also on the wings.

However, on this day, Schick was completely erased by Kim Min-jae. Starting as the central striker in the Czech team's 3-4-2-1 formation, Schick never managed a single shot. His total touches were limited to 11. Ultimately, Czech coach Miroslav Koubek brought Schick off in the 18th minute of the second half. He was replaced by Tomas Hor, who stands at an imposing 198cm and plays for Slavia Prague.

British media outlet The Guardian also focused on Schick's poor performance and Kim Min-jae's presence. The Guardian reported, "Schick struggled to make any headway against Kim Min-jae and, receiving poor support from his teammates, began to show frustration. It was a long and lonely night for the Leverkusen striker." It further added, "Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) was active and showed sufficient class. Kim Min-jae was like a rock from the back."

However, Coach Koubek's substitution did not work. Kim Min-jae remained unshaken even in a direct matchup against Hor, who is over 10cm taller than him. He demonstrated stability not only in aerial duels but also through precise defensive positioning and quick covering plays. He did not yield in physical battles either. In fact, he used his strong physique to overpower the opposing attacker on several occasions.

In the end, Hor also finished the match with zero shots. Although the Czech Republic tried to gain an advantage in height and physicality by bringing on both Schick and Hor, they could not break through the South Korean defense anchored by Kim Min-jae.

Football statistics platform FotMob also awarded Kim Min-jae a rating of 7.4. In contrast, Schick and Hor, who were shut down by Kim Min-jae, both received a rating of 5.9.

The Guardian also coldly evaluated the Czech Republic's performance. The outlet stated, "The Czech Republic was limited. They came out with a game plan to overwhelm their opponent physically. However, South Korea, especially Kim Min-jae, was solid."

It further explained, "Set pieces were the Czech Republic's main attacking threat. An unusually long throw-in led to the opening goal." In reality, although the Czech Republic pressured South Korea with height and physicality, they failed to find a clear solution in open play. Eventually, they lost control of the flow after the middle of the second half. Coupled with South Korea's spirited counterattacks, they suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat.

The Guardian also projected the future landscape of Group A. The outlet noted, "South Korea and Mexico, both winners of the opening match, will face each other in the next game. They will compete for the easiest path to the top of the group and the tournament."

Regarding the Czech Republic and South Africa, who lost their opening matches, the outlet expressed that they "are fighting for survival." It continued, "While the Czech Republic is expected to beat South Africa, even if they advance to the Round of 32, it is hard to imagine them threatening anyone beyond that."

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*This content was translated by AI.