Lee Chun-soo explodes in anger: "In the end, they're playing 'Please-do-it soccer' again... Ah, just kick it up, there's really no other way."

*This content was translated by AI.

Even Lee Chun-soo (45), who once received countless applause for his fighting spirit and played with more determination than anyone else, could not hide his frustration during the South Africa match.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo (FIFA ranking 25th), lost 0-1 to South Africa (FIFA ranking 60th) in the third group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Group A, held at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on the 25th (Korean time).

As a result, the South Korean national team was pushed to third place in the group, failing to advance to the round of 32 on its own. In a match played at the same time, Mexico, which defeated Czechia 3-0, secured first place in the group with 9 points. South Africa took second place in the group and advanced to the round of 32.

On this day, South Korea could have secured second place in the group on its own by earning just one point from a draw against South Africa. Had South Korea finished second in the group, it would have faced Canada in the round of 32 and could have comfortably looked forward to advancing to the round of 16. However, after suffering a blow from South Africa, it found itself on an uncertain path.

South Korea's final elimination has not yet been confirmed. The results of other third-place teams in the groups must be awaited. With third-place teams from a total of 12 groups, the top eight among them can advance to the round of 32.

On this day, the YouTube channel 'Lee Chun-soo [Lee Chun-soo]' released a video showing Lee Chun-soo, Lee Eul-yong, and Lee Keun-ho watching the match together in real time after the game ended.

In particular, as South Korea trailed 0-1 and the play continued to pass the ball around in the late second half, Lee Chun-soo expressed his frustration, saying, "Kick it up. There's no other way right now." Lee Eul-yong also expressed his frustration, saying, "(Pass it) forward."

Additionally, Lee Chun-soo expressed his regret, saying, "(Only Lee Kang-in) was found. They're only looking for a few key players, and 'Please-do-it soccer' has come out again."

Lee Chun-soo raised his voice, saying, "Actually, the reason I get angry watching Korean football after such a long time is..." and continued, "I don't know. It's okay if it's because I'm tired, exhausted, or the humidity is high. But even so, I couldn't tolerate someone squeezing past me, grabbing my pants, or kicking me from behind if I got a cramp all over my body or if someone pushed past me from the side. Seeing them get passed so easily is disappointing, and in fact, this doesn't seem to be the problem of just one or two people."

He also emphasized, "If you run hard, you won't get cursed. It's not just about using foot skills; you really have to collide with your body. That's what sports, and football, are about. If they had played like that, they wouldn't have gotten this angry."

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*This content was translated by AI.