British media focused on the reactions of Hwang Hee-chan (29, Wolverhampton) and Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham), who expressed disappointment over the result of the match against Oman.

Football Insider reported on the 22nd (Korean time) that "Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan shared his thoughts on the A-match against Oman via social media, to which Son Heung-min responded."

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, faced Oman in the 7th match of Group B of the 3rd round qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the 20th at Goyang Sports Complex, finishing in a 1-1 draw.

South Korea maintained its lead in Group B with 15 points (4 wins, 3 draws). The result left much to be desired. If South Korea had secured 3 points from this match against Oman and won the match against Jordan on the 25th, it could have confirmed its entry into the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time early, regardless of the matches against Iraq and Kuwait in June. However, due to this match result, they are now in a situation where they must wait until the June A matches.

In this match, South Korea set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Joo Min-kyu played at the forefront, while Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, and Hwang Hee-chan occupied the attacking midfield. Baek Seung-ho and Park Yong-woo protected the back four, with Lee Tae-seok, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo Yu-min, and Seol Young-woo forming the defense. Jo Hyun-woo was in goal.

South Korea took the lead 1-0 in the 41st minute of the first half after Lee Kang-in was substituted in, receiving a pass from him and calmly finishing by Hwang Hee-chan. However, in the 35th minute of the second half, they conceded an equalizer to Al Busaidi, leveling the score.

South Korea continuously attempted to score until just before the end of the match, but ultimately wrapped up the game without adding a goal, finishing at 1-1. As a result, even if South Korea wins against Jordan on the 25th, it will not be able to confirm its entry into the World Cup finals until the June A match schedule.

An unexpected injury also occurred during the match. Baek Seung-ho was substituted due to injury in the 38th minute of the first half, and in the 38th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in was carried off on a stretcher due to pain. Until just before the end of the match, South Korea sought victory by utilizing various substitutes, such as Oh Se-hoon, Yang Hyun-jun, and Oh Hyun-kyu, but had to accept a disappointing result without a decisive score.

The most critical moment was, of course, the conceding goal. In the 35th minute of the second half, South Korea blocked the opponent's advance in front of the penalty box. The cleared ball was left in front of Son Heung-min, who quickly attempted a forward pass. However, this pass went to Al Busaidi instead of a teammate, and he exchanged the ball with a colleague before immediately shooting to shake the net.

This was particularly regrettable since the goal conceded came from South Korea's captain Son Heung-min. There is further disappointment in that after making a passing mistake, he merely watched the situation without taking proactive action. Additionally, according to various statistical sources, Son Heung-min transferred possession of the ball 19 times in this single match.

Football Insider reported that "After the match, Hwang Hee-chan posted on his social media, 'The result is disappointing, but thank you to everyone who cheered for us in the cold weather,' along with a red heart emoji," noting, "Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham, also reacted by pressing 'like' on this post."

It continued, "Son Heung-min left much to be desired with his performance, which did not meet expectations in this match. Hwang Hee-chan's Wolverhampton is going through a difficult time this season. Head coach Gary O'Neil was dismissed, and Vitor Pereira was appointed as the new manager, but he too is currently under pressure."

Meanwhile, Hwang Hee-chan, who met with reporters after the game, said, "I am grateful to have contributed to the team by scoring and playing after a long time with the national team. I tried to help the team within the opportunities given."

He stated, "While we did not win, I consider this an important point. There is a lot of regret, but I believe we can grow through such games. It seems important to show a better performance in the next match."

He added, "We gained an important point, and I think it's a not-too-bad result. Although I have experienced a lot in the final qualifiers, I am in my best form right now. The final qualifiers have always been difficult. In those matches, we demonstrated good performance when we made progress and overcame challenges."

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