Guadalupe: South Korea will only need a draw against South Africa in their final group stage match this week to advance to the knockouts of the FIFA World Cup, but head coach Hong Myung-bo doesn't want his players to settle for anything less than a victory. "The moment we start thinking a draw will be good enough, we will be in trouble," Hong said at his prematch press conference at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, northeastern Mexico, on Tuesday, the eve of South Korea's Group A showdown against South Africa. The kickoff is 7 p.m. Wednesday (local time), or 10 a.m. Thursday (South Korean time).
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea are in second place in Group A on three points, following a 2-1 win over Czechia and a 1-0 loss to Mexico. Mexico are already through to the round of 32 after clinching the top spot in the group with their win over South Korea. South Korea will secure second place with a win or a draw against South Africa and may even sneak into the knockouts as one of the eight best third-place teams with a loss if Czechia also fall to Mexico on Wednesday. However, a combination of a South Korea loss and a Czechia victory will knock South Korea out of the tournament.
Hong emphasized the importance of not settling for a draw by saying, "Looking back on some of our past World Cups, we've been in situations where we had to win our final group match to advance. This is not a bad spot to be in, but it's not especially helpful, either. I think we will only dig ourselves a hole if we think it will be OK to get a draw." South Korea more than held their own against Mexico, only to be undone by a miscue in their own box when goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu lost the ball after crashing into his own defender Lee Gi-hyuk early in the second half. Hong admitted that the players were "a little down" on themselves after the Mexico match, but they have since regrouped.
Hong also mentioned lineup changes, stating he will make alterations "at two or three positions" against South Africa. He expressed excitement about playing in front of a supportive crowd at Estadio Monterrey, noting the presence of Korean residents in the area and support from local Mexican fans. Despite the scorching conditions of Guadalupe, Hong is confident that his team will adapt well, as they are accustomed to playing in similar environments in Korea.