'Such a mistake in the World Cup...' Kim Seung-gyu's agonizing goal, even a super save couldn't shine

*This content was translated by AI.

It was truly an agonizing goal. Kim Seung-gyu (36, FC Tokyo), the goalkeeper of the South Korean national football team, bowed his head in pain over a painful mistake. The 'super save' that had repeatedly protected the Korean goal that day also lost its luster.

Kim Seung-gyu started in the match against Mexico, the second group stage game of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, held on the 19th (Korea time) at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. He recorded three saves, but swallowed his regrets due to a single mistake in the fifth minute of the second half.

Kim Seung-gyu, who had put on a show of saves in the previous match against the Czech Republic, also guarded the goal in the second match against Mexico that day. In the 20th minute of the first half, he made a save against an opponent's header, showing his presence. The problem was the scene in the fifth minute of the second half. A cross from the side was headed away by Lee Ki-hyuk (Kangwon FC) in front of the goal, and the ball bounced high into the air.

Kim Seung-gyu, who was guarding the goal, stepped out of the goal to catch the high-bouncing ball. However, immediately after competing for the aerial ball with an opponent, Lee Ki-hyuk's gaze also turned to the high-bouncing ball. Lee Ki-hyuk only crouched down just before Kim Seung-gyu was about to catch the ball. With an opposing player approaching from the front, it was also difficult to move out of the way.

Kim Seung-gyu, who jumped to catch the ball, however, lost his balance and failed to catch the ball properly. In the unstable catch, a collision occurred with Lee Ki-hyuk, and he completely lost the ball. Luis Lomo (Chivas), who was in front of the goal, did not miss the loose ball. He kicked it into the empty goal that Kim Seung-gyu had left. It was an agonizing goal that should not have been conceded.

Immediately after conceding the goal, Kim Seung-gyu became very angry with Lee Ki-hyuk. It was interpreted as meaning that he lost the ball because Lee Ki-hyuk did not move out of the way. However, judging from Lee Ki-hyuk's movement, it is highly likely that he only realized the goalkeeper's call late due to the presence of many spectators. Moreover, with another Mexican player approaching, it was also difficult for a defender to unconditionally open up space.

More than that, from just before the collision with Lee Ki-hyuk, Kim Seung-gyu had essentially lost the ball without being able to catch it properly. Since he had stepped out of the goal, if it was difficult to catch the ball completely, he should have handled the ball more decisively, such as with a punch. Martin Keown, a former England national team player who handled the broadcast for the British public broadcaster BBC that day, also said, "A terrible mistake by the goalkeeper," adding, "I don't know if a teammate interfered, but he should have caught the ball and controlled it properly." Football statistics media FootMob also viewed the scene as Kim Seung-gyu's mistake.

Although Kim Seung-gyu made two decisive saves after conceding the first goal, they lost their luster due to the agonizing goal. In fact, in the 30th minute of the second half, Kim Seung-gyu dove to push away Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton), who was facing him one-on-one from the left side of the goal area. In the 40th minute, he also pushed away a powerful long-range shot by Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid). Both scenes were truly 'super saves.' However, since an equalizing goal did not come out in the end, the match ended with a 0-1 defeat for South Korea.

After the match, coach Hong Myung-bo said, "It is difficult to accurately determine how the call play was made on the ground. We have not yet had a detailed conversation with the players in the locker room. It seems that a mistake occurred due to a momentary miscommunication in the process of passing the ball handling." He added, "The result is truly regrettable. Overall, I think the players fought well. Although the scene of the first goal is regrettable, they did their best until the last moment."

South Korea will play the final group stage match against South Africa at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on the 26th at 10 a.m. If they achieve a draw or better against South Africa, they will advance to the 32nd-team tournament, but if they lose, they could be eliminated depending on the result of the Mexico-Czech Republic match at the same time.

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*This content was translated by AI.