'Ah, Modric's fighting spirit is so frustrating' Hong Myung-bo's team enters emergency mode; a single miscalculation leads to elimination... Croatia defeats Ghana 2-1

*This content was translated by AI.

This is truly an emergency. With only two groups remaining in the World Cup qualifiers, there are just two possible scenarios for Hong Myung-bo's team to reach the Round of 32. In other words, if even one scenario goes wrong, elimination is confirmed.

On the 28th (Korea time), Croatia defeated Ghana 2-1 in the final third-round match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup North, Central America and Caribbean Qualifiers Group L, held at the stadium in Philadelphia, USA. Earlier that day, England in the same group completely defeated Panama 2-0.

As a result, England secured first place in Group L with two wins and one draw (7 points). England will face one of the third-place teams from Groups E, H, J, or K in the Round of 32 on July 2 at the stadium in Atlanta, USA. Croatia finished second in the group with two wins and one loss (6 points) and will face the second-place team from Group K in the Round of 32.

Ghana, with one win, one draw, and one loss (4 points), dropped to third place in the group but secured a spot in the Round of 32 by ranking high among the third-place teams. In this tournament, not only the top two teams from each group but also the eight best-performing third-place teams out of the 12th groups advance to the Round of 32. Panama finished the group stage with three losses (0 points) after competing against formidable opponents.

For South Korea, this means yet another worst-case scenario. Under the leadership of Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national football team recorded one win and two losses (3 points), with two goals scored and three conceded, resulting in a goal difference of -1, placing them third in Group A. Competing against host nation Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Africa, South Korea could have advanced to the Round of 32 as the second-place team in Group A with just a draw in the final third-round match against South Africa. However, they lost 0-1. Ultimately, they are now left to watch the results of other groups.

At the end of the Group A matches, South Korea still had several possible scenarios. If favorable scenarios occurred in just three of the remaining nine groups, advancing to the Round of 32 would have been possible. However, among the six groups completed by the 27th, only one scenario favorable to South Korea materialized. Consequently, two of the remaining three groups—Group J, Group K, and Group L, all scheduled for the 28th—needed to end favorably for South Korea.

However, even in Group L, the result South Korea hoped for did not materialize. From South Korea's perspective, Ghana needed to defeat Croatia. Only then would there be a possibility for the third-place team in Group L to have a worse record than South Korea. However, Croatia's 2-1 victory over Ghana eliminated this scenario. Croatia finished second in the group with 6 points, and the defeated Ghana maintained 4 points, placing them ahead of South Korea.

Now, South Korea requires both Group K and Group J results to end favorably. In Group K, currently third-place Democratic Republic of the Congo (one draw, one loss, 1 point) must fail to defeat fourth-place Uzbekistan (two losses, 0 points) in their final match. If the Democratic Republic of the Congo draws or loses, the third-place team in Group K could end up with a record worse than South Korea's.

Group J must also flow favorably for South Korea. Second-place Austria (one win, one loss, 3 points) must defeat third-place Algeria (one win, one loss, 3 points). If Algeria loses, they would finish with the same 3 points as South Korea, but South Korea would have a better goal difference. Algeria currently has a goal difference of -3, while South Korea has -1.

Croatia deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Key players such as 'legend' Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic started the match. Ghana, led by coach Carlos Queiroz, countered with a 4-1-2-3 formation. Antoine Semenyo and Thomas Partey started on the field.

The first half belonged to Croatia. In the 17th minute of the first half, Nikola Vlašić's low long-range shot hit the post and went out. Even after that, Croatia continued to threaten Ghana's goal with Modric's precise kicks in set-piece situations. After sustained attacks, Croatia scored the opening goal. In the 31st minute of the first half, Petar Šušković shook the net with a powerful long-range shot.

Ghana also had a chance in the 40th minute of the first half when Semenyo took a dangerous shot, but the ball narrowly missed the goalpost.

In the second half, Ghana raised their defensive line and attempted a counterattack, which was favorable for South Korea. Coach Queiroz, seemingly seeking a victory, actively made substitutions from the early stages of the second half. The effect was immediate. Ghana's substitute Abdul Fatawu Issahaku took a sharp left-footed long-range shot. Immediately after, Semenyo also had a decisive opportunity in front of the goal, but the ball did not connect properly with his foot at the last moment.

Croatia focused on stopping Ghana's attacks. In the 11th minute of the second half, veteran Modric came down into the penalty box and threw his body to clear a cross. For South Korean fans, this was a fighting spirit that was almost frustrating.

Nevertheless, there was still hope for South Korea. In the 28th minute of the second half, Derek Lukaku calmly shook the net from a free-kick situation. The referee initially called offside, but after video assistant referee (VAR) review, Ghana's goal was recognized. At that moment, South Korea only needed one more goal from Ghana.

However, the hope did not last long. In the 38th minute of the second half, Croatia took the lead again. From a corner kick, Modric delivered a precise cross, and Vlašić finished with a header, shaking Ghana's net. At the moment Croatia took a 2-1 lead, South Korea's possible scenarios were significantly shaken.

Ghana fought for an equalizer until the final moments but ultimately failed to open Croatia's goal. The match ended as it was. Croatia secured a direct ticket to the Round of 32, and although Ghana lost, they secured a spot in the tournament by finishing in the top tier of third-place teams with 4 points. On the other hand, South Korea was pushed to the brink.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.