The South Korean national team drew 1-1 against Oman at home. Oman faced numerous difficulties, from weather to religion, but earned 1 point on the road to Korea.

Under the guidance of head coach Hong Myung-bo (56), the South Korean football team met Oman at 8 p.m. on the 20th at Goyang Sports Complex for the 7th match of Group B in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing with a 1-1 draw.

With this, South Korea maintained 1st place in Group B by recording 15 points (4 wins, 3 draws).

It's a disappointing result. If South Korea had earned 3 points against Oman and won against Jordan on the 25th, they could have secured their 11th consecutive World Cup finals appearance early, regardless of the upcoming matches in June against Iraq and Kuwait. However, due to this result, they now have to wait until the June A matches.

Oman faced many challenges during this away match. First, the average temperature in Oman during winter is 17°C, making it difficult to adapt to the Korean cold. In fact, Oman’s coach, Jaber, noted, "It’s too cold. We still have to adapt."

Additionally, they arrived in Korea after a 13-hour flight. This coincided with the Ramadan period, which is one of the five obligations that Muslims must observe, during which they must fast while the "Taeyang" is up. Oman was also restricted in their nutritional intake.

In this match, South Korea deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Joomin-kyu played at the front, while Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, and Hwang Hee-chan lined up as attacking midfielders. Baek Seung-ho and Park Yong-woo provided support to the back four, composed of Lee Tae-seok, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo Yu-min, and Seol Young-woo. Jo Hyun-woo guarded the goal.

Oman also utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation. Issam Al Sabhi aimed for a goal, with Abdul Al Masheefri, Ali Al Busaidi, and Yamil Al Yahmadi in the attacking midfield. Abdullah Fawaz and Said Al Alawi occupied the central area, while Al Roshaydi, Khalid Al Braiki, Ahmed Al Kamishi, and Abdullah Al Harthi formed the back four. Ibrahim Al Mukaini donned the goalkeeper's gloves.

In the first half, South Korea increased their ball possession and aimed for a goal. Seol Young-woo and Hwang Hee-chan, positioned on the right flank, disturbed the defense and passed to Son Heung-min, who moved centrally to target the defense.

Oman was not merely on the back foot. Al Sabhi broke through the defense with a quick counterattack and created a threatening chance.

In the 22nd minute of the first half, Son Heung-min, who received the ball on the left flank, drew the opposing defense and passed to Park Yong-woo, who entered the box, but the pass was blocked by the defense.

South Korea swallowed their disappointment. In the 35th minute, Baek Seung-ho’s cross headed toward the box, and the attackers dove for a header, but the goalkeeper cleared it with his hands.

Then, South Korea faced bad news as Baek Seung-ho fell due to injury during a challenge, and they substituted Lee Kang-in in the 38th minute of the first half.

South Korea scored the opening goal. In the 41st minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in sent a through pass to the infiltrating Hwang Hee-chan, who controlled the ball in the box and shot to create a 1-0 lead. After struggling to create shots, South Korea breathed a sigh of relief with Hwang Hee-chan's goal.

Three minutes of stoppage time were added in the first half. Just before the end of the first half, Son Heung-min’s sharp free kick came, but was saved. The first half ended with South Korea leading 1-0.

South Korea made a change right at the start of the second half, substituting Joomin-kyu with Oh Se-hoon.

As the second half began, South Korea created several opportunities quickly. Compared to the first half, there were more aggressive passes, which led to threatening movements near Oman’s goal.

In the 12th minute of the second half, Oman also looked for opportunities. They delivered a cross from the right flank, but Kwon Kyung-won cleared it with a powerful header. In the 18th minute of the second half, South Korea substituted Hwang Hee-chan, the scorer of the opening goal, bringing in Bae Jun-ho.

South Korea sought an additional goal. In the 27th minute of the second half, Lee Tae-seok, who received the ball on the side in front of the box, took a long-range shot, but it missed the goal.

There was also a crisis. In the 30th minute of the second half, an aggressive pass from Oman slipped behind the defense to Musen Al Ghasani, who charged quickly toward the goal. He then delivered a cross but it was inaccurate, and the chance was lost.

South Korea conceded a goal. In the 35th minute of the second half, they allowed a goal to Al Busaidi, bringing the score to 1-1, equalizing the game after having been ahead 1-0.

Immediately after, South Korea made substitutions. Lee Kang-in, who was in pain after Oman’s goal, could not get up. In the 37th minute of the second half, they substituted him with forward Oh Hyun-kyu. Lee Kang-in was carried off the field. Lee Tae-seok also went to the bench, and Yang Hyun-jun was brought in.

In stoppage time, South Korea continued to seek a goal but ultimately couldn't secure a lead, leading the match to end in a 1-1 draw.

After the match, coach Hong Myung-bo said, "It was the worst game in the final qualifiers."

He continued, "There were difficulties due to the new combination. The first half was challenging. Fortunately, we scored a goal in the first half, and the start of the second half was good. But we felt like we were winning while also not winning, as we kept giving easy balls to the opposition."

He added, "It's unfortunate, but there are still matches left. There are injured players. We will see how to proceed to the next game."

Afterward, Son Heung-min, meeting with the press, said, "Overall, we brought back a disappointing result. It's a day I feel too disappointed in myself and sorry to my teammates."

Son Heung-min noted, "There is not even enough time to be disappointed," adding, "Every final qualifier might seem easy, but in reality, the level in Asia is rising, and each match is difficult. More preparation and study is necessary. Such matches teach us lessons and provide learning opportunities."

[OSEN]