Park Yong-woo (32, Al Ain) lowered his head regarding the mistake that led to the goal against him.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, drew 1-1 with Jordan in the 8th match of Group B in the third round of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asian qualifiers, held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 25th at 8 p.m.

As a result, South Korea has drawn all three matches since the Palestine match last November, including the Oman match on the 20th and the Jordan match today. In particular, failing to win both home matches has left a deep regret.

Now, South Korea maintains an unstable first place in the group with 16 points (4 wins, 4 draws). The gap with second-place Jordan (13 points) and Iraq (12 points), who has played one less match, is not large. There is also a significant possibility of reversal depending on the results of the June A matches.

The national team had aimed to secure qualification for the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time by winning this home match but fell short. The fact that they have managed to hold onto first place while remaining undefeated is a small consolation.

South Korea took the lead just five minutes into the match. The protagonist was Lee Jae-sung. In the 5th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min delivered a sharp corner kick from the left, which Lee Jae-sung converted with a left-footed shot. Lee Jae-sung once again scored first against Jordan, following the away match in October last year.

Jordan equalized with a counterattack. A mistake by Park Yong-woo in the 30th minute of the first half was crucial. Jordan seized the ball from Park Yong-woo in the midfield and initiated a counterattack, with Musa Al-Tamari firing a threatening left-footed shot. Although Cho Hyun-woo saved that shot, Mahmoud Al-Mardi connected with the rebound for a turning shot that found the back of the net.

It was a scene that echoed a year earlier. South Korea had been stopped by Jordan in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar last February, failing to reach the semifinals. At that time, Park Yong-woo's mistake also led to a goal, resulting in a 0-2 defeat.

To avoid repeating the same pain, South Korea was more aggressive in attack during the second half. Several threatening breakthroughs and crosses came from the flanks. However, they fell short of unlocking Jordan's goal once again. Ultimately, the match ended in a draw.

After the match, Park Yong-woo appeared with a serious expression in the mixed zone. He expressed gratitude, saying, "I really appreciate that many fans came to support us at the home game. I think the players did really well from the first half. But it seems I lost the momentum due to my mistake. I feel sorry for the team and everyone. I will work hard in the remaining two matches to achieve good results."

Park Yong-woo is working in sync with Hwang In-beom, who has returned from injury. Park said, "I've been working with In-beom even before. It was very comfortable to play because In-beom performed well."

On the day, excluding the mistake that led to a goal, Park Yong-woo had a decent performance. His switching passes were also quite accurate. Coach Hong Myung-bo also commented in the press conference, "Park Yong-woo has made mistakes in the past, but it is excessive to judge him by just one mistake. Overall, I believe the balance and chemistry is the best combination you can get after just a day or two of training. Park Yong-woo made a mistake today, but it's not a big issue."

Regarding this, Park Yong-woo said, "Even if I perform well, one such mistake has a huge impact on the team. I keep reflecting and revisiting that mistake. I need to work hard to ensure such mistakes do not happen again."

Fortunately, the atmosphere in the locker room did not seem too dark despite the draw. There was even a cheer and applause heard before the players came out to the mixed zone.

When asked what was discussed, Park Yong-woo explained, "Hyung-min said there is nothing to be scared of and that we are still in first place in the group. He mentioned that we just need to win both of the next two matches. He urged us to win them all to qualify for the World Cup as the group leader. The players didn’t feel scared at all."

He also added, "It was a supportive atmosphere. Although we didn't win the match, we cannot let the current atmosphere drop. The players supported and talked to each other."

However, Hong Myung-bo's team needs to improve its particularly weak performance at home. The national team has recorded 3 wins and 1 draw away, but only 1 win and 3 draws at home. Park Yong-woo stated, "It’s quite difficult to explain. In any case, we’ve had poor results. Whatever is said seems like an excuse. We just need to perform better."

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