"A Nightmare from 12 Years Ago": Hong Myung-bo Fails to Prove Himself Again, 'Tactical Misjudgment Persists'... Fans Sigh at the 'Parallel Theory'

*This content was translated by AI.

Immediately following South Korea's poor performance and defeat, a sense of déjà vu from the 2014 Brazil World Cup washed over head coach Hong Myung-bo, 57.

The South Korean national football team, led by Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup qualifiers, 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-place teams advance to the knockout stage. Consequently, South Korea now has to wait for the results of other matches.

The Hong Myung-bo-led team was trapped by South Africa's meticulous planning, playing a lifeless and ineffective game from start to finish. Son Heung-min's exclusion from the starting lineup was a tactical misjudgment that completely erased South Korea's characteristic mobility. At critical moments, the defensive organization was severely shaken, allowing frequent counterattacks, and ultimately conceding the winning goal, leading to defeat.

Coach Hong Myung-bo, who led the team in the World Cup 12 years ago and experienced a bitter failure, had said shortly after South Korea's elimination from the group stage of the 2014 Brazil World Cup, "I hope this was a good experience for our players." Lee Young-pyo, who was commentating on the match at the time, directly criticized Hong's casual attitude, stating, "The World Cup is not a place to gain experience, but a place to prove oneself." That remark sparked a major debate within the Korean football community at the time.

Twelve years later, Hong Myung-bo once again took charge of the World Cup stage. However, he failed to demonstrate his tactical capabilities in this World Cup as well. On this day, Hong Myung-bo made a bold move by excluding Son Heung-min from the starting lineup, but South Korea recorded zero effective shots in the first half and were dragged along lifelessly throughout the second half. Although Son Heung-min, Jens Castrof, Kim Jin-gyu, and Cho Gue-sung were substituted in consecutively in the second half, the substitutions had no effect whatsoever.

After the match, head coach Hong Myung-bo said, "The responsibility lies entirely with the coach," and "Ultimately, everything was my decision and judgment, but I judged incorrectly," admitting his own tactical misjudgment.

Lee Young-pyo's biting criticism continued this time as well. He pointed out, "I understand the strategic intent behind placing Son Heung-min in the second half and selecting the lineup accordingly, but that intent never materialized from the first half until the end." This was a direct observation that the coach's tactical intentions were completely absent from the game. In contrast, regarding the opposing coach Hugo Broos, he said, "He responded calmly even in difficult situations. He is a great manager worthy of the title 'Magician of Organization,'" highlighting the difference in strategic acumen between the two coaches.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo returned to this tournament carrying the painful memory of the World Cup failure 12 years ago. However, his tactical limitations remained unchanged. The cry from Lee Young-pyo 12 years ago to "prove oneself" was repeated once again in this World Cup.

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*This content was translated by AI.