'Defeat against Mexico' Lee Kang-in lets out a deep sigh: "The sense of regret is overwhelming"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain), the ace of the South Korean national football team, could not hide his regret over the defeat against Mexico in the second match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Following the 0-1 defeat against Mexico in the second Group A match of the tournament held at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on the 19th (Korea time), Lee Kang-in said in a post-match interview, "We prepared to win, but we lost, so the sense of regret is overwhelming," letting out a deep sigh.

On this day, South Korea, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, stood up to host nation Mexico, but conceded a painful goal due to a lack of coordination between goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) and defender Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) in the 5th minute of the second half. Although they launched a counterattack late in the second half utilizing the height advantage of Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), they were blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's save and had to swallow their regret.

Lee Kang-in also performed well, starting and playing the full 90 minutes for the second consecutive match following the first Group A match against Czechia, recording three key passes. His pass success rate reached 88%, and he threatened the opposing goal directly with long-range shots in both the first and second halves. However, he could not convert these chances and bowed his head due to the team's defeat.

Lee Kang-in added, "Since this is the World Cup stage, I think we need to prepare even better," and "The match has already passed, so we will prepare well for the next match and ensure we can win."

With this defeat, South Korea remains in second place in the group with 3 points (1 win, 1 loss), trailing Mexico (6 points, 2 wins). They are 2 points ahead of third-place Czechia and fourth-place South Africa (both with 1 point, 1 draw, 1 loss). South Korea will play the final Group A match against South Africa at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on the 26th at 10 a.m.

In this World Cup, the top two teams from each group and the top eight third-placed teams among the 12th groups will advance to the Round of 32.

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*This content was translated by AI.