'Skipping the departure ceremony and departing immediately': Will Hong Myung-bo's 'divine move' pay off? The 'clear physical advantage' was evident.

*This content was translated by AI.

The Hong Myung-bo squad, which announced its final roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Americas on the 16th of last month, departed for its pre-camp in the United States just two days later. The World Cup departure ceremony, which had been held around the time of the final roster announcement, was skipped for the first time in 40 years.

The Korea Football Association stated that this was an unavoidable choice due to the tight schedule in Group A of the World Cup finals and the need to acclimate to the high altitude of Mexico, where the group stage matches are held. However, some argued that the decision to skip the departure ceremony may have reflected some negative public opinion directed at the Hong Myung-bo squad.

The Hong Myung-bo squad established a pre-camp in Salt Lake City, United States, starting on the 18th of last month to begin acclimating to the high altitude. Salt Lake City's altitude is approximately 1,460 meters, matching the height of the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico (1,571 meters), where the first and second group stage matches are held. While the acclimation period varied depending on the schedules of the players' respective clubs, the Hong Myung-bo squad adjusted their condition through nearly 20 days of high-altitude acclimation.

In contrast, the Czech Republic, the opponent in the first group stage match, placed little significance on the 'high-altitude variable.' The Czech national team, which had been training in Dallas, Texas, until the day before, arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the day of the match to play. In fact, the Czech national team coach reacted sensitively to media questions regarding high-altitude acclimation.

The 'polar opposite' preparations by the South Korean and Czech national teams regarding high altitude were fully revealed on the ground of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Americas Group A first match held at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on the 12th (Korea time).

On this day, South Korea maintained high ball possession from the early stages of the match and controlled the flow, while the opponent failed to mount any significant counterattack. The shot count was 8 for South Korea and only 2 for the Czech Republic in the first half, indicating a virtually one-sided flow.

Of course, South Korea suffered an early blow in the 14th minute of the second half to the opponent's greatest strength, 'height,' but quickly regained balance with an equalizing goal by Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) in less than 10 minutes. Subsequently, in the 35th minute of the second half, Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) scored a go-ahead goal, successfully turning the tide of the match.

As time passed, the 'high-altitude variable' sharply widened the physical gap between the two teams. While South Korea, holding the lead, was constantly looking for a third goal, the Czech Republic, which desperately needed a goal, failed to create opportunities. The Czech players' feet appeared noticeably heavy, and players were seen bending over to catch their breath.

Ultimately, the match ended with a 2-1 victory for South Korea. The ability to maintain concentration until the end and protect the lead with a clear physical advantage over the opponent was attributed to the effect of high-altitude acclimation, which the Czech Republic did not undertake. Coach Hong Myung-bo stated, "I believe the high altitude had a significant impact on the result in the end. The Czech Republic was exhausted in the second half, and we were able to press them harder physically." He added, "In terms of playing offensively, the high-altitude acclimation training proved to be a great success."

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*This content was translated by AI.