Japanese media's blunt assessment: "A disaster relying on Son Heung-min amid declining form." Facing a desperate situation, Hong Myung-bo's team emphasizes "we prioritize organizational strength"... A tale of woe and joy for Korea and Japan at the World Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

Japanese media also showed significant interest in the defeat of Hong Myung-bo's team.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final third-round match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, held at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on the 25th (Korea time).

With one win and two losses (three points), South Korea dropped to third place in the group, eliminating their chance of direct qualification for the round of 32. In this tournament, the eight best-performing third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. As a result, South Korea must now wait for the results of other teams. The group stage will conclude entirely on the 28th according to Korea time.

Japanese media outlets also turned their attention to South Korea's defeat. Japan's "Gekisaka" reported on the day that "South Korea, which excluded ace Son Heung-min from the starting lineup, could have advanced from the group stage in second place with just a draw, yet they lost despite this favorable situation."

The outlet further commented that "South Korea's attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in moved widely to orchestrate attacks, but was blocked by South Africa's defense, failing to create any significant opportunities."

It added, "After conceding a goal, South Korea, desperate for an equalizer, increased possession and launched a relentless offensive. However, they were stopped by South Africa's tenacious physical defense, which focused on protecting their one-goal lead, and failed to create decisive chances."

Comments on the article continued with Japanese netizens pointing out South Korea's tactical limitations. The netizen who received the most agreement compared South Korea's "reliance on individuals" with Japan's organizational strength.

The netizen stated, "South Korea's weakness of relying on specific individuals was fully exposed," and noted, "It is difficult to fill the gaps caused by the poor performance or absence of key players." They further added, "In contrast, Japan, which prioritizes organizational strength, minimizes the impact even when key players are absent," and concluded, "Given that Son Heung-min's decline in form was clearly evident in this tournament, the defeat against South Africa was not a particularly surprising result."

In fact, the Japanese national team, which has emphasized "organizational strength," has been performing smoothly in this tournament, showing a stark contrast to South Korea. Japan, placed in Group F, drew 2-2 against powerhouse Netherlands in the first group stage match and then secured a 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the second match. This marks the highest number of goals scored in a single match in the history of Asian nations at the World Cup. Currently sitting in second place in the group with one win and one draw (four points), Japan has sent a green light for qualification to the round of 16.

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*This content was translated by AI.