South Korea is no longer the 'Tiger of Asia.'

The national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, drew 1-1 against Jordan in the 8th match of Group B in the Asia region third round qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the evening of the 25th.

Having drawn both home games, South Korea (4 wins, 4 draws, 16 points) finds itself trailing Jordan (3 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 13 points) by 3 points. The early confirmation of their qualification for the World Cup has also slipped away.

South Korea could not secure results or quality. Just 5 minutes into the match, Son Heung-min's corner kick was connected by Lee Jae-sung for an easy goal. However, a mistake by Park Yong-woo in the 30th minute allowed a counterattack, resulting in a goal by Mahmoud Al-Mardi.

Despite holding 75% possession, South Korea's shooting numbers were nearly equal at 12-11. The number of shots on target was tied at 3-3. South Korea wasted 2 of their 3 big chances.

After the match, head coach Hong Myung-bo's leadership came under scrutiny. Hong noted, 'Today's match ended in a draw. This marks three consecutive draws in the recent games. Everything is my responsibility. I apologize to the fans.'

Japan, South Korea's rival, became the first in the world to secure a spot in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. On the 20th (Korean time), Japan defeated Bahrain 2-0 in the 7th match of Group C in the Asia region third round qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (co-hosted by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico) at Saitama Stadium 2002, with Daichi Kamada scoring the first goal in the 66th minute and Takefusa Kubo adding a goal in the 84th minute.

With this victory, Japan secured first place in Group C with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 19 points. Japan became the first in the world to confirm their place in the World Cup with three matches remaining. This marks Japan's 8th consecutive qualification.

Head coach Hajime Moriyasu announced that he would rest key players and test newcomers in the remaining three matches. On the 25th, Japan drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia, substituting key players like Endo and Kubo early in the match.

Japan boasts an impressive record of 10 wins and 2 draws in 12 recent A matches. The most recent defeat was a 2-1 loss to Iran in the quarterfinals of last year's Asian Cup. Following Japan, New Zealand and Iran also confirmed their spots in the World Cup.

In contrast, South Korea, which had relatively favorable match draws, saw early aspirations for qualification dashed after drawing 1-1 at home against Oman and Jordan.

Japanese media also took note of South Korea's struggles. 'Football Channel' remarked, 'South Korea achieved an unexpected draw. While Japan and Iran confirmed their qualification, South Korea failed. South Korea's pride has been hurt by two consecutive draws at home. Their performance has been painful to qualify for the World Cup.'

It continued, 'The issue is that South Korea lacks tactics to break down their opponents. South Korea is no longer the Tiger of Asia.'

[OSEN]