MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group A · Friday, June 12 · Guadalajara Stadium, Guadalajara · 44,985 in the stands

kickoff 20:00 local · 21°C · 77% humidity · altitude 1,560 m

Korea Republic

67′ HWANG Inbeom (pen)

80′ OH Hyeongyu (pen)

2:1

Czechia

59′ Ladislav KREJCI (pen)

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Korea Republic3-4-2-1
Czechia3-4-2-1
KIM Seunggyu5.8LEE Hanbeom6.4KIM Minjae7.2LEE Taeseok7.1SEOL Youngwoo6.6LEE Gihyuk6.9HWANG Inbeom8.9PAIK Seungho6.8LEE Jaesung7.5LEE Kangin8.0SON Heungmin6.7Matej KOVAR6.1Robin HRANAC5.9Vladimir COUFAL7.0Stepan CHALOUPEK6.2Ladislav KREJCI7.2Jaroslav ZELENY6.6Lukas PROVOD6.6Tomas SOUCEK6.4Alexandr SOJKA6.4Patrik SCHICK6.6Pavel SULC6.5
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′KORCZE

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 59′Krejčí0.21 xG
  • 67′Hwang Inbeom0.31 xG
  • 80′Hyeon-Gyu0.37 xG
KOR 0:0 CZE0'kickoff
12' Son — xG 0.05 · Blocked12' Han-beom — xG 0.04 · Missed14' Kang-in — xG 0.02 · Saved14' Son — xG 0.04 · Blocked22' Soucek — xG 0.28 · Missed32' Šulc — xG 0.01 · Missed38' Son — xG 0.03 · Missed39' Son — xG 0.13 · Missed45 + 2' Son — xG 0.44 · Blocked45 + 3' Hwang Inbeom — xG 0.02 · Missed49' Hwang Inbeom — xG 0.03 · Saved49' Jae-sung — xG 0.40 · Saved56' Son — xG 0.32 · Saved59' Krejčí — xG 0.21 · Goal61' Jae-sung — xG 0.05 · Missed67' Hwang Inbeom — xG 0.31 · Goal80' Hyeon-Gyu — xG 0.37 · Goal82' Hlozek — xG 0.13 · Saved88' Sadílek — xG 0.01 · Saved90 + 3' Sadílek — xG 0.14 · Saved90 + 4' Kim — xG 0.06 · Blocked90 + 4' Hlozek — xG 0.04 · Missed90 + 7' Hlozek — xG 0.04 · Missed

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The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

KOR 0:0 CZE
1.02.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′59' Krejčí — GOAL67' Hwang Inbeom — GOAL80' Hyeon-Gyu — GOAL2.310.86

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

KOR 3-4-2-1 attack →, ← CZE 3-4-2-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1KIM SeunggyuKIM Seunggyu2LEE HanbeomLEE Hanbeom4KIM MinjaeKIM Minjae13LEE TaeseokLEE Taeseok22SEOL YoungwooSEOL Youngwoo3LEE GihyukLEE Gihyuk6HWANG InbeomHWANG Inbeom8PAIK SeunghoPAIK Seungho10LEE JaesungLEE Jaesung19LEE KanginLEE Kangin7SON HeungminSON Heungmin1Matej KOVARMatej KOVAR4Robin HRANACRobin HRANAC5Vladimir COUFALVladimir COUFAL6Stepan CHALOUPEKStepan CHALOUPEK7Ladislav KREJCILadislav KREJCI20Jaroslav ZELENYJaroslav ZELENY17Lukas PROVODLukas PROVOD22Tomas SOUCEKTomas SOUCEK24Alexandr SOJKAAlexandr SOJKA10Patrik SCHICKPatrik SCHICK15Pavel SULCPavel SULC

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

56%
Possession
34%
1.77
Expected goals
0.64
55
Threat
45
15
Shots
7
6
On target
4
483
Passes completed
241
30
Forced turnovers
40
12.8s
Ball recovery time
18.4s
3.68
High-press phases
5.27
16
Fouls committed
9
2
Offsides
2
112 km
Distance covered
118 km
35.2 km/h
Top speed
34.0 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Korea Republic attack →, ← Czechia attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 59′Ladislav KREJCI (Czechia) scores!!
  2. 62′HWANG Heechan (in) comes off the bench to replace LEE Jaesung (out) (Korea Republic)
  3. 63′Adam HLOZEK (in) comes off the bench to replace Pavel SULC (out) (Czechia)
  4. 63′Tomas CHORY (in) comes off the bench to replace Patrik SCHICK (out) (Czechia)
  5. 63′Michal SADILEK (in) comes off the bench to replace Lukas PROVOD (out) (Czechia)
  6. 67′HWANG Inbeom (Korea Republic) scores!!
  7. 69′OH Hyeongyu (in) comes off the bench to replace SON Heungmin (out) (Korea Republic)
  8. 69′EOM Jisung (in) comes off the bench to replace LEE Taeseok (out) (Korea Republic)
  9. 80′OH Hyeongyu (Korea Republic) scores!!
  10. 84′KIM Jingyu (in) comes off the bench to replace HWANG Inbeom (out) (Korea Republic)
  11. 84′PARK Jinseob (in) comes off the bench to replace PAIK Seungho (out) (Korea Republic)
  12. 84′Mojmir CHYTIL (in) comes off the bench to replace Alexandr SOJKA (out) (Czechia)
  13. 90+6′LEE Gihyuk (Korea Republic) is booked by the referee.

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Korea's Composure Wins After Wayward First Half

Korea Republic dictated possession (56 per cent) and territory throughout, but early profligacy nearly cost them dearly. They spurned three gilt-edged chances before the break—a blocked effort (45+2) and two saved attempts at 49 and 56 minutes—allowing Czechia to steal ahead at 59 with a low-expectation finish. The shape remained unchanged: Korea pressing but struggling to convert, Czechia compact and opportunistic.

Korea's dominance in ball recovery (12.8 seconds to Czechia's 18.4) proved decisive. After trailing, they converted twice in 13 minutes—first through a 0.31 xG chance at 67, then a cleaner 0.37 opportunity at 80. In-beom Hwang (8.9 rating) and Lee Kang-in (8.0) drove the second-half onslaught, while Czechia's Ladislav Krejčí (7.2) couldn't sufficiently shield a flagging rearguard. Korea's clinical finish, not their territorial dominance, won the day.

Having wasted three first-half chances, Korea Republic then converted twice in 13 minutes to transform a potential upset into a routine victory.

67′

Korea equalizes with a 0.31 xG chance; from this moment, their ball recovery dominance becomes irresistible.

What Korea Republic needed

Second-half composure salvaged a first-half misfiring attack; defending lapse nearly proved fatal.

  • Ball recovery speed (12.8s vs 18.4s) was the platform: faster transitions unlocked two finishing chances.
  • Hwang's 8.9 rating and Kang-in's 8.0 were decisive; Czechia's defensive average offered no answer.
  • Missed three big chances (45+2, 49, 56) before Czechia's goal; that nearly proved fatal but composure held.

What Czechia needed

Early proficiency might have held; Korea's xG advantage (1.77 vs 0.64) proved insurmountable.

  • Krejčí's 22' miss (0.28 xG) needed to go in; one goal then alters the entire trajectory.
  • Conceding twice in 13 minutes (67-80) was fatal; sharpness at 59 came too late.
  • Ball recovery lag (18.4s vs 12.8s) meant transitions favoured Korea; defensive shape fractured under pressure.