Coach Hong Myung-bo consoled Park Yong-woo (32, Al Ain), who bowed his head in disappointment.

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

South Korea started off well with a goal from Lee Jae-sung just 5 minutes into the first half. However, in the 30th minute, they conceded an equalizer to Mahmud Al-Mardi's swift counterattack. A single mistake by Park Yong-woo directly led to the goal.

As a result, South Korea recorded draws in all three matches from the game against Palestine last November to the match against Oman on the 20th and the game against Jordan on the same day. Notably, they did not win either of the two home matches, leaving a deep sense of regret.

Now, South Korea is maintaining a precarious first place in the group with 16 points (4 wins, 4 draws). The gap with second-place Jordan (13 points) and Iraq, who have played one match less (12 points), is not significant. There is a sufficient possibility of a turnaround depending on the results of the June A matches.

The national team aimed to secure an early qualification for the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time by winning both home matches, but that has turned to vapor. The fact that they have managed to maintain their first-place position while remaining unbeaten is a small consolation.

Overall, it was not a bad game, but a single mistake by Park Yong-woo was too critical. When Park hesitated momentarily in midfield, the Jordanian players quickly pounced and intercepted the ball. Ultimately, the swift counterattack that followed became Jordan's only goal.

Park Yong-woo is still haunted by the nightmares of Jordan. He dropped his head after providing a scoring opportunity against Jordan in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup held in Qatar last January. At that time, his pass mistake in midfield was the cause. South Korea conceded the opening goal and lost 2-0, resulting in their exit from the tournament.

Faced with Jordan again after a year, Park Yong-woo recreated the same mistake. Except for that mistake, he performed decently, which made it even more regrettable. He provided defensive protection and his lateral transition passes were not bad. His coordination with Hwang In-beom was also good.

Coach Hong Myung-bo also expressed unwavering trust after the game in a press conference, saying, "Park Yong-woo has made mistakes before, but it's excessive to judge him by one mistake. Overall, I believe he provided the best combination, having trained just a few days. Park made a mistake today, but it’s not a major problem."

Nevertheless, Park Yong-woo's expression was hardened after making a significant blunder. He couldn't lift his head after the match, and in the mixed zone, he stated, "I think the players performed really well from the beginning of the match. However, it seems I lost the momentum due to my mistake. I feel sorry for the team and everyone."

Furthermore, Park Yong-woo remarked, "Even if I play well, just one mistake has a huge impact on the team. I am continually reflecting and revisiting that mistake. I must work hard to ensure such mistakes do not happen again."

Then, Coach Hong Myung-bo once again encouraged Park Yong-woo, saying, "Hey, lift your head up!" as he passed by while leaving the stadium. It was an indifferent yet comforting encouragement directed at his pupil, who felt worse than anyone else.

Ultimately, Park Yong-woo has no choice but to learn from this mistake and become more resilient. It will be difficult for Coach Hong to suddenly find other alternatives with two final qualifying matches remaining in June. A team-oriented play that maximizes Park's strengths while minimizing his weaknesses is needed.

Despite this draw, the Hong Myung-bo team is maintaining an atmosphere of not losing confidence. Park Yong-woo also shared, "Hyung-min told me in the locker room after the match that there's nothing to be afraid of, and we are still in first place in the group. He mentioned that we need to win both upcoming games. He stressed we must win all to qualify for the World Cup. The players do not feel intimidated at all."

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