When the final whistle blew on Nov. 21, the 64,000 fans at the Seoul World Cup Stadium groaned. The South Korean national soccer team was at home against Thailand. It was the third match of Group C of the 2026 North American World Cup Asia Second Qualifying Round. It was not a friendly match, but a must-win. No matter how you look at it, South Korea was dominant. Prior to this game, South Korea had a record of 30 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses. They were ranked 22nd in the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and 101st in Thailand. South Korea was expected to win.
Even if it wasn’t a World Cup qualifier, South Korea needed a win, as it was their first game since the tumultuous Asian Cup. Lee Kang-in, the youngest player on the team, got into a fight with captain Son Heung-min. Lee wanted to play table tennis, 카지노사이트 but Son insisted. This led to a lot of criticism that the national team’s hierarchy was out of order. Lee flew to London, England, and apologized to Son Heung-min in person, and he made another ‘public apology’ during the national team’s convening, but public opinion remained cold. He needed to win to turn the tide.
But things were not looking good from the start.
South Korea struggled against Thailand’s tight defense early on. They kept getting the ball into the middle of the field, but to no avail, and long passes from Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom from the back line to the front line were the only options. Then, they were hit by a sharp counterattack. In the eighth minute of the first half, Baek Seung-ho lost the ball while dribbling from the back, and Thailand’s Supachai wasted no time in hitting a mid-range shot. Goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo barely got a hand to it.
Korea gradually found a gap in the Thai defense by sending the ball down the flanks to the center. This led to a free kick on the left side of the penalty arc in the 29th minute. Son Heung-min aimed for the bottom right corner, but his direct shot was saved by the goalkeeper. It finally paid off in the 41st minute. Lee Jae-sung drove down the left flank and sent the ball into the center of the box, where Son Heung-min slotted it into the right corner of the goal. It was Son’s 45th goal of the A-Match.
At the start of the second half, the momentum shifted back in Thailand’s favor
Thailand pushed forward little by little. The Korean defense was panicked and shaky. As soon as the ball came in, the defense was overwhelmed. Eventually, they conceded a goal in the 16th minute of the second half. Thailand’s sharp left breakthrough left the right side of the defense empty. Thailand sent the ball back to the right side and played a strong pass in front of the goal. Thailand’s Supanat Mueanta slotted the ball into the back of the net. It was an inexcusable goal. 1-1 tied. Lee Kang-in came off the bench to warm up in the 17th minute of the second half and diligently put the ball in front of the goal, but to no avail. Thailand locked down the defense again, and Korea’s relentless attack to break the deadlock continued. Baek Seung-ho, Son Heung-min, and others tried to find the back of the net, but to no avail. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.
The result was a draw, but the Thai players hugged each other and celebrated as if they had won. The South Korean team, needing a win, bowed their heads as the game ended.
With the draw, Korea, which is in Group C alongside Thailand, China, and Singapore, remains at the top of the group (2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points), but there is not much difference in points between second-place Thailand (1 win, 1 draw, and 4 points) and third-place China (1 win, 1 draw, and 3 points). It could be a case of “what if” in the second round. In the second qualifier, 토토사이트 추천 the first- and second-place teams will advance to the final Asian qualifier. Hwangseon Hongho will play their fourth match away from home on June 26 at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.