Jeon Hyun-moo "Commentator Lee Young-pyo slammed the desk three times"..South Korea's shocking 0-1 defeat in South Africa [KBS World Cup]

*This content was translated by AI.

KBS, which held exclusive live broadcast rights on terrestrial television, reported that South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in the third match. South Korea ultimately found itself in a situation where it must rely on "possible scenarios" to advance to the Round of 32, having settled for third place in the group.

On the 25th (Korean time), the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America, and the Caribbean between South Korea and the Republic of South Africa took place at Monterrey Stadium. On this day, the "77 Duo" Jeon Hyun-moo and commentator Lee Young-pyo finally coordinated their commentary. Commentator Lee Young-pyo stated, "We must be wary of South African players penetrating the space behind using their speed. We also need to be careful about direct long passes." He added, "There is no match that can be drawn, and no football match that can be taken for granted," sharing key viewing points.

Just one minute after the first half began, South Korea earned a corner kick opportunity. However, it unfortunately did not lead to a goal. As South Korea missed several chances from the start, South Africa's momentum began to rise, and South Korea instead appeared impatient. In the second half, attacking players such as Son Heung-min, Jens, and Kim Jin-gyu were brought in, raising expectations for a different dynamic. However, South Africa's goal remained difficult to breach, and chances in front of the goal repeatedly failed to materialize. Commentator Lee Young-pyo expressed frustration, saying, "You can never aim for a goal from the outside. I want to tell them, 'Those who want to score, move into the center.'" Jeon Hyun-moo, watching from the side, reported the atmosphere on-site, noting, "Commentator Lee Young-pyo, who rarely loses his composure, slammed the desk three times."

After the match, Jeon Hyun-moo said, "It is not confirmed that we have been eliminated from the Round of 32, but I cannot leave the stadium due to my regret," and then posed a direct question: "Did South Africa play well, or did we fail to play well?" Commentator Lee Young-pyo provided a comprehensive review, stating, "Earlier, South African players gave an interview saying, 'If you trust coach Hugo Broos's strategy and follow it, you can win.' I believe there was a hint in that. We must win, but we maintained our position strategically, while South Korea gave away many counter-attack chances. South Korean football was able to dominate opponents thanks to overwhelming mobility, but since we could not dominate in that aspect, it was a very difficult match."

Jeon Hyun-moo asked again, "What was the problem for us?" Commentator Lee Young-pyo responded, "I understand the strategic intent behind placing Son Heung-min in the second half and selecting the starting lineup accordingly, but that intent was not reflected at all from the first half until the end. Although Son Heung-min, Jens, and Kim Jin-gyu entered in the second half and briefly injected some vitality, the momentum had already shifted to the opponent, so they could not exert a significant effect. Additionally, with Kim Min-jae, the core of the defense, sidelined due to a calf injury, the defensive organization collapsed, creating a vicious cycle of compounding difficulties." Jeon Hyun-moo concluded the review with a note of hope, saying, "We have not yet been eliminated from the Round of 32. If a third-place team finishes within the top eight among the third-place teams, we can advance to the Round of 32. From then on, we can reset and avoid repeating the same mistakes."

South Korea finished with 3 points, one win and two losses, securing third place in Group A. Hong Myung-bo's team will now monitor the results of matches in other groups. If South Korea finishes within the top eight among the 12 third-place teams, it will be possible to advance to the Round of 32.

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*This content was translated by AI.