South Korea created the clearest chances through Son Heung-min, but their captain was unable to find the breakthrough. The Czech Republic focused their attacks down the flanks, particularly on the right with Vladimir Coufal, but failed to convert their sequences in the Korean penalty area.

The most dangerous moment for South Korea came in stoppage time. At 45+1 minutes, Son received the ball after a run between the lines, but looked for a pass to his left rather than shooting first time. The return pass did not allow South Korea to turn the action into a goal.

A few minutes earlier, at the 38th minute, Son had already had a chance after a ball recovery thanks to Kim Min-jae’s power in midfield. Starting from the right wing heading into the box, the forward attempted a placed shot with his foot but missed the target. At the 37th minute, he had also sent a long-range attempt over the crossbar.

South Korea finds Son but lacks the final touch

The Asian side demonstrated their ability to play out cleanly and accelerate in bursts. Lee Kang-in tried to inject pace at the 27th minute, but was dispossessed in midfield before the Czech Republic could exploit the transition.

The Korean block also alternated between low defensive phases and pressing bursts. At the 31st minute, these bursts disrupted the Czech build-up and caused turnovers. In defense, the Koreans answered well in aerial duels, notably at the 41st minute during a Czech pressure wave following a free-kick and then a cross from the right.

The Czech Republic pushes down the wings but fails to score

The Czech Republic found space on the flanks, with Coufal on the right and Lukáš Provod on the left. At the 21st minute, Coufal earned a corner after a blocked cross. The following delivery, an in-swinging ball with the left foot, created a dangerous situation in the South Korean area.

At the 35th minute, Provod provided a cross from the left. South Korea’s defense won the aerial duel and then the second ball to clear the danger. At the 40th minute, Alexandr Sojka earned a free-kick after a high pressing recovery, but the Czech Republic did not convert this phase into a decisive chance.

The 0-0 score at half-time reflects a tight match, with South Korea threatening when Son is found between the lines and the Czech Republic active on the wings. No goals were scored during the first forty-five minutes.

Group A schedule

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