Hong Myung-bo's side finished the first half of its opening match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup against the Czech Republic at 0-0. Korea attempted more shots throughout the first half and did not allow the Czechs a shot on target, but failed to convert decisive chances into goals.
The Korea men's national soccer team led by Coach Hong Myung-bo has been playing the Group A opener of the North and Central America World Cup against the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, from 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korea time).
Korea lined up in a back three in a 3-4-2-1 shape. Son Heung-min (LAFC) led the line up front, with Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) placed on the second attacking line. Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City) patrolled the middle, while the wingbacks were Lee Tae-seok (Vienna) on the left and Seol Young-woo (Zvezda) on the right. The back three consisted of Lee Ki-hyeok (Gangwon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), with Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) in goal.
Korea led the first-half statistics. Korea recorded eight shots in the first half, while the Czech Republic managed three. Shots on target were one for Korea and zero for the Czechs. Possession also favored Korea at 53% to the Czech Republic's 47%. Passes were 208 for Korea and 183 for the Czechs. Pass completion rate was 88% for Korea and 70% for the Czech Republic. Both teams had three corner kicks.
Korea rattled the Czech defense early in the first half with Lee Kang-in's passing and Son Heung-min's movement. In the 12th minute, Lee Kang-in slipped the ball to Lee Jae-sung making a run into the box, and then Son followed with a shot, but it was blocked by the Czech defense. On the ensuing corner, Lee Han-beom tried a header but sent it over the bar.
In the 14th minute, Lee Kang-in took Kim Min-jae's progressive pass and struck a left-footed shot from midrange. The ball was stopped by Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovars's save, but it stood as Korea's only shot on target in the first half.
Korea also faced a scare. Around the 15th minute, Lee Ki-hyeok wobbled while handling the ball at the back, gifting the Czechs a chance. But Kim Min-jae threw himself in quickly to deny Patrik Schick a shooting opportunity.
Around the 22nd minute, a hydration break introduced for this tournament was applied. It is a three-minute water break in the middle of each half, and both teams used the time to reorganize their shape.
Late in the first half, Son Heung-min tried to take matters into his own hands. In the 38th minute, he attempted a right-footed shot from midrange outside the penalty area, but the ball drifted wide. A minute later, Kim Min-jae broke up an attack and found Son, who dribbled past a defender and fired a left-footed shot, but it again missed just to the left of the goal.
Korea also created a chance in first-half stoppage time. Son Heung-min fed the ball to Lee Tae-seok on the left flank, and Lee sent in a low cross. Son crashed the box and flung himself at it, but the ball did not catch his foot cleanly.
The Czech Republic built attacks around long balls and set pieces, leveraging height and aerial strength. But its shooting accuracy was poor in the first half, and Korea's back line dealt with the aerial threats relatively solidly.
Online streaming also drew interest. On the World Cup official streaming channel of Naver's CHZZK, roughly 2.9 million concurrent users piled in during the first half. Despite being a weekday morning kickoff, interest in the national team's first match of the tournament was high.