Coach Hong Myung-bo embraced Park Yong-woo (32, Al Ain), who made a critical mistake.

The national soccer team, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo (56), drew 1-1 against Jordan in the 8th match of Group B of the 3rd round of the Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held on the evening of the 25th at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

After drawing both home games, first-place South Korea (4 wins, 4 draws, 16 points) finds itself being chased by second-place Jordan (3 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 13 points) by 3 points. South Korea's early confirmation of qualification for the World Cup has also been shattered.

South Korea took the initiative when Lee Jae-sung connected on a header from a corner kick delivered by Son Heung-min within five minutes of the first half. It seemed like South Korea would easily control the match.

However, in the 30th minute of the first half, after a mistake by Park Yong-woo that resulted in a turnover, Al-Mardi scored an equalizer. South Korea could no longer keep the initiative. Finishing the first half at 1-1, South Korea brought in Yang Min-hyuk, Yang Hyeon-jun, and Oh Se-hun in the second half to launch an all-out offensive but was unable to secure a win.

The following is a Q&A with Coach Hong Myung-bo.

- Today's match ended in a disappointing draw?

▲ Today's match ended in a draw. It has now been three consecutive draws in recent matches. Everything is my responsibility. I apologize to the fans. However, the players showed what they prepared in a short time. I discussed the shortcomings with the players after the Oman match. There is a regret in not being able to win.

The players did their best. Lee Tae-seok marked Al-Tamari well today. Hwang In-beom also performed well in managing the game. There were occasional mistakes, but overall, the players did not show significant errors or poor performance.

- You have had 1 win and 3 draws in the four matches played at home, which is disappointing?

▲ On the contrary, good results have been achieved away. There were many goals, and the performance was not bad. They were unable to achieve results at home. I cannot pinpoint exactly why. It seems the players are carrying too much pressure at home. There were distractions that prevented concentration. I have not been able to determine exactly why they have not won at home. There are also conditioning issues.

- What do you mean by an atmosphere that prevents concentration at home?

▲ I don't know exactly. The players are coming from Europe and are facing difficulties regarding their conditioning.

- Hwang In-beom's playing time was more than expected. He also seemed to be in pain when substituted.

▲ I communicated with his club. I thought he could last over 70 minutes. In the end, he said he could run more. He requested to play longer (80 minutes) before being substituted.

- Park Yong-woo made a critical mistake. What are the plans for changes in the midfield moving forward?

▲ It is important to find a player who can replace Hwang In-beom. I have not yet found a suitable substitute. Park Yong-woo and Hwang In-beom have consistently played together. Park Yong-woo has made mistakes in the past, but it is excessive to judge him based on one mistake.

Overall, the balance and combinations reflect the best arrangement that can be achieved with training over the last couple of days. It is crucial to find new players for the future, but while Park Yong-woo made a mistake today, it is not a major issue.

- Despite having favorable matchups in the 3rd round of qualifiers, you are underperforming?

▲ I apologize for not meeting the fans' expectations. I feel sorry for not winning in home matches. Overall, they should have won one or two games. There were opportunities they did not seize. Other than that, the players did their best. Despite achieving good results in difficult matches in the Middle East, it is disappointing not to win at home.

- In the middle of the game today, you lost control?

▲ Regarding the referee's decisions, it is unpredictable. I told the players not to focus on that. They could not withstand the situations leading to conceding goals. I don't think Jordan had a significant amount of time controlling the match.

- You were unable to break through the packed defense?

▲ There is certainly a way to break it. It takes time. We improved compared to the first game. Breakthroughs from the side, two-on-one passes, and space penetration have improved. Ultimately, finishing within the box must be achieved. It did not go well. Ultimately, that is the coach's responsibility. Our players remain sufficiently positive.

[OSEN]