Without this player, Korea could never have won, 'historic save' Kim Seung-gyu: "If we had lost, it would have been my responsibility..." [Live from Guadalajara]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), the goalkeeper who saved the Republic of Korea, delivered a fantastic display of saves, completing a precious comeback victory for Hong Myung-bo's team. A year ago, he had to consider retirement after suffering a major injury that threatened his playing career. He endured hellish rehabilitation and shone with a miraculous performance on the World Cup stage.

The Republic of Korea national football team (ranked 25th), led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, overcame an early second-half goal against the Czech Republic (ranked 41st) in their opening Group A match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup qualifiers, held at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, at 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korean time). With consecutive goals from Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), they secured a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory.

While field players wrote the script for the dramatic comeback from the front, Kim Seung-gyu stood firmly at the back as the last line of defense.

Without Kim Seung-gyu's dazzling saves, Hong Myung-bo's team would not have won. Korea, leading 2-1, faced a relentless Czech offensive in the final moments of the second half. In the 37th minute of the second half, Adam Hložek (Hoffenheim) of the Czech Republic took a sharp shot in a chaotic situation in front of the goal, and the ball seemed to be sucked into the net. At that moment, Kim Seung-gyu made a super save, diving with animal instinct to push the shot away. It was a decisive moment that saved the team from an equalizing crisis.

Kim Seung-gyu's showtime continued until just before the final whistle. In the third minute of stoppage time in the second half, Michal Sadílek (Slavia Prague) struck a powerful shot from inside the penalty area, but Kim Seung-gyu once again displayed his concentration, diving to perfectly catch the ball. It was a perfect defensive play that completely crushed the Czech Republic's late pursuit.

After the match, Kim Seung-gyu met with reporters in the mixed zone, saying, "I have always said that the first game is the most important, and the players also vowed to secure today's match," and added, "Although we conceded first, I am happy that we all managed to come back and bring home the result."

Regarding the two decisive super saves in the final moments, he showed the humility of a veteran. Kim Seung-gyu said, "Korea controlled the game. Actually, the Czech Republic did not have many chances, but we conceded first. If the game had ended as it was, it could have been blamed on the defenders and the goalkeeper. However, I am just happy that the attackers scored the comeback goals and that I made a save at the end, contributing a little to the team," expressing his gratitude to his teammates.

He also expressed surprise at the Czech Republic's weapon of high balls and long throws. Kim Seung-gyu said, "We analyzed and prepared for the opponent's set pieces and long throws as advantages in advance," but added, "However, there were more tall players than expected. The Czech players' physicality was very good. Even though it was a pattern we knew, it felt like we were caught off guard, which is regrettable."

There were two reasons why this victory was even more special for Kim Seung-gyu today. The first was the presence of his lovely newborn daughter. Kim Seung-gyu, now a father, has not been able to see his daughter in person due to the World Cup schedule. He smiled brightly, saying, "I even video-called my daughter before leaving for the stadium. Until now, I had only seen her sleeping, but today, strangely, she opened her eyes properly before we left and looked at me a lot. Thanks to that, I really felt a lot of strength on the pitch today."

Kim Seung-gyu, who completely washed away the pain of his injury and was moved to tears, said, "Up until a year ago, I was a period where I questioned whether I could return to the field," and added, "After overcoming such a major injury, I started in the World Cup and achieved results and victory. The past days were very hard, but I feel like everything is being rewarded. Rehabilitation is often very hard and exhausting on its own. If there are players currently recovering from injuries and going through difficult rehabilitation, I hope they can find a little strength by watching me." He sent a sincere message of encouragement.

However, the second group stage match against the host nation Mexico, to be played a week later, is expected to be in a completely different atmosphere. Kim Seung-gyu said, "The players all watched Mexico's opening match together," and added, "The atmosphere was incredible from the moment the national anthem was played. The opposing South Africa team seemed to lose its spirit, and the momentum had already started to shift. I think we need to prepare thoroughly for such an incredible atmosphere," without letting his guard down.

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*This content was translated by AI.