Korea Republic 2-1 Czechia: Official Tavern Recap

We did it. The must-win match. We won. We played the way we wanted, and although our style didn’t work out well at all since the 2-0 win against USA in 9/2025, it worked today. This match was also truly special to me as my first World Cup experience – the first of many. So far my record for KNT games is USA 2-0, Trinidad & Tobago 5-0, and Czechia 2-1. I need to go to more games…

HMB ball the way he always intended

I know we’ve spent so much of the past two years moaning and groaning over HMB’s tactics, but it worked today. Maybe it’s because the elevation helped us after all and Czechia tired themselves out so fast and made lots of errors (thanks to elevation), and maybe it’s because Czechia didn’t really try to capitalize on our weaknesses and just went for long balls and headers, but HMB made the right decisions today and his ideas worked. We here at the Tavern have always called for HMB to let the players do what they’re best at, and this time he finally let it happen instead of forcing new tactics onto players who may have to do things they’re not used to doing. As a result, we looked much better today than we usually do in friendlies. 

Let’s talk about the long ball approach in the first half. It was funny and a bit jarring at first seeing both teams go for long ball after long ball. Czechia always does this but we’re not a long ball team, at least not anymore. But in retrospect, perhaps this was an intentional way to 1) tire them out and take advantage of the elevation training that we could afford but Czech could not and 2) attack their big weakness, which is the space behind the defense. Czechia at the outset pressed high up, harder than i expected them to (but they didn’t dial it up to 100% which helped us). Czechia is typically a team that prefers to sit back and defend least against Denmark and Northern Ireland. Perhaps they knew we’re comparatively weaker against high pressing teams? So in response, we decided to absorb the press, then long ball so Son or our fullbacks could run in behind the defense, with the space having been CREATED in the first place by Lee Jae Sung or Lee Kang In dropping deeper so the LCB or RCB is forced out of position. Whereas Czechia aimed for headers with their long balls; we aimed for space behind the defense – makes sense given they’re taller than us while we’re faster than them. This way, we forced them to continuously run, up and down the pitch. A long ball to Son would either work and he would maintain possession and find space, or it would go over his head and both him and Seol Young Woo (at least early on, SYW was clearly the higher up FB than LTS) could press the defenders REALLY high up, in their own half, leading to errors in clearances. Unsurprisingly, Czechia tired out first, having spent only 24 hours up in elevation. Their team bus even took a wrong turn to training the day before the game, forcing them to walk 1 hour just to get to training.

Our boys also utilized space and drew defenders out of position beautifully. Lee Jae Sung and Lee Kang In were particularly instrumental here. On several occasions LJS drew a CB a bit off his line so SHM could run in. He shadowed SHM at times so they could create 2 v 1s against a single center back, and his runs created space (and therefore chances) for SHM. Same with LKI who dropped deeper in midfield and drew Krejčí off his line, at times even as high up as where Schick was positioned, forcing him to run halfway up the pitch and halfway down the pitch repeatedly. Zelený also had to press LKI high up, sometimes alongside Sulc, leading to the repeated déjà vu for us Korean fans of seeing LKI double or triple marked – opponents can’t NOT mark a guy this good – giving us numerical advantages in attack. If you get dispossessed this doesn’t work, but LKI has that ability to shrug off pressure, turn around, and pass into that empty space for us to attack. And no one on this team (perhaps even the world) puts in through passes like LKI (we here at the Tavern have been calling for HMB to play LKI a bit deeper back and centrally forever, not as a defense busting winger/forward, so he can maximize his technical strengths and minimize his weakness – speed). Like the long ball strategy above this ALSO force them to run and cover space, further compounding our comparative advantages in speed and elevation acclimatization. This kind of attacking play… hasn’t worked out well for us in the friendlies leading up to this game, but it sure worked well this time, whether it was due to players practicing it, HMB improving it, external factors like elevation and fatigue helping us, or all of the above.

Now we talk about the fullbacks, a bit of a sore point for a lot of Korean fans. First, we discuss the choice to start Lee Tae Seok. Reportedly, a day or two before the game LTS was not 100% ready for the game and was training on his own. I too expected Jens to start, but perhaps this was the right choice after all. In our Czechia preview we discussed how one pattern of attack was to keep possession on the L side with Kreiji and Sulc, then pass into the relatively open right side for Coufal to run into – this was very much evident from the average position map on Sofascore:

And kudos to Lee Tae Seok for dealing with Coufal really well. LTS is the more defensive of the left backs in our squad. While Jens is clearly more gifted at attacking, LTS is better at defensive positioning, which was very important today. We could say that positioning and defensive balance was more important and therefore LTS was the right pick; but in these sorts of managerial picks, if it works the manager gets applause and if it DOESN’T work the manager gets disparaged. In an alternative universe where Jens started and made a crazy run to score in the first half (or dispossessed a defender high up the pitch to score), there is a chance we could’ve said “wow starting Jens was the right choice.” Regardless, it worked so we are very happy.

Additionally, having the fullbacks high up – which previously left us so exposed in the back (exhibit A ivory coast) and often times didn’t even contribute much actually worked this time. What HMB always wanted and idealized (but often times failed miserably) actually materialized. By positioning so wide and pinning the opposing fullbacks or lateral CBs out wide, it left space that players like Son or Hwang In Beom repeatedly exploited. Or, by having LJS or LKI (or even Son) drop deeper, the fullbacks could run into the space vacated by them. I remember a funny moment in the second half where twice in the same play, as we were mostly building up on the right, Lee Tae Seok was positioned like a striker and had two chances to find himself 1 v 1 with the goalkeeper had the pass gone to him/had Lee Kang In seen him, because SHM had dropped deeper, pushing Hranac up, leaving LTS 1 v 1 with Coufal behind him while the play was shifting to the right. What a sight that would’ve been – LTS in prime HHC mode would’ve been hilarious.

The response to the Czech goal and subs:

We knew we would concede off a set piece. During the first half, as we kept missing chance after chance, I became increasingly nervous as I had a feeling we would concede a cheap set piece as always. And it happened. Nobody marked Krejčí.

But kudos to the team for adapting. Two things need to be discussed here. First, is that we started to mark runners during set pieces much better, such that the pattern that led to Krejčí’s goal couldn’t happen again. Also, for a team that sucks so much at set pieces, only conceding one was actually a really good result for us. I was worried we’d concede more, but the corner and free kick defending was on point. Nearly had a heart attack with the offsides goal, there is a clip going around where Paik Seung Ho subtly pushes Souček offside. Despite the goal, excellent defending on our part.

Second was the tactical change: HIB went much more offensive and started making runs behind the defense himself. It worked beautifully. His interchanging play with LKI led to so many chances in the second half. This worked especially well because as we discussed earlier better because LKI was so threatening that they marked him more and more throughout the game, which drew their CBs or CMs even further out, allowing HIB to exploit that space. The second goal was a direct result of this. Second goal, Lee Kang In and Seol Young Woo dropped deep, drew defenders away, leading to space for HIB to make the R half space run. First goal, Son drew out Hranáč allowing HIB to make the run for the goal. And here we take a moment of appreciation – the first goal was truly a work of art. HIB has scored goals like this before, but this was probably his #1 masterpiece to date, something that even strikers like Son, CHS, or OHG would be proud to pull off.

The subs of Hwang Hee Chan (more direct running at the defenders as opposed to drawing them out with off the ball movement in LJS) and Eom Ji Sung (surprisingly very lively and threatening) worked as well.

So to summarize the prior few sections… HMB most definitely can be a very frustrating manager but we managed to amplify our comparative strengths. I wasn’t sure if HMB was capable of something like this, but I am so glad to have been proven wrong.

Headers and physical strength:

I thought that we would struggle hard in the air outside of Kim Min Jae. I also expected us to get overrun in the midfield. Our friendlies were pointing in that direction, but I was COMPLETELY wrong and thank God I was.

I still don’t know how we managed to dominate aerially. Minjae of course won 4/5 of aerial duels (in one of his jumps he was an entire head above the 1.99 m tall Tomáš Chorý) but somehow Lee Gi Hyeok won 4/6, and Lee Han Beom likewise won 5/7. Lee Tae Seok (I believe a lot of fans are sleeping on how well he did) won 3/6, which is insane considering he’s on the shorter end of the team. I also still don’t know how we went from being outmuscled in the midfield by El Salvador to dominating it vs Czechia, but hey we’ll take it!

I also want to appreciate Oh Hyeon Gyu outside of the goal and how meaningful it is to score after being the backup squad member in 2022. OHG uses his body BEAUTIFULLY. That goal was a work of art, yes, but so was his ability to put himself in front of the defender to win all the long balls. I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing 186cm OHG consistently winning duels against 190+ cm CBs. His winning of long balls shaved VALUABLE time off the clock. He even drew multiple defenders to himself, won the duel, then allowed our players to exploit the space left by the extra marking on OHG.

I wonder if elevation was the culprit here? The jump timing was off for them today – maybe because of the unpredictable path of a ball high up?

A word on Son Heung Min:

Yes he uncharacteristically missed chances, and yes it led to us having to claw back from 1-0 down, but he is still extremely valuable to this team, on the pitch and off the pitch as the undisputed leader.

As I alluded to on Tim’s player ratings post, Son had a role. We knew from prior interviews from Czech players and their manager that they’d be focusing on stopping Son. So it was kind of brilliant that initially we sent long balls to Son so he could run and chase, and ultimately tire them out. Of course this is all speculation on my end but I bet this was all very intentional; Kim Seung Gyu even defended SHM to media, saying “he ran so much and tired them out.” Only Son can do this kind of thing the way he does (yes OHG is good at this too as is HHC but Son commands more attention from defenders and is world class at this kind of thing, or at least he used to be), and tbh only Son can find the chances that he did. Hence why I want to push back at least a bit to everyone saying he shouldn’t start anymore; there is some truth in these comments because it’s clear Oh Hyeon Gyu is the most in form Korean #9, but I’m not sure if SHM starting off the bench is the best option; I’d actually prefer us to start him and sub him out early than the other way around.

He is also the straight up undisputed leader and captain of the team. Kim Min Jae was seen giving the captain’s armband BACK to Son after the game ended. And finally, since most of the world only knows Son, we use that to our advantage. Teams often double mark or at least very closely mark him, freeing up space for others.

The emotional rollercoaster:

I’m going to struggle to put this into words. The utter frustration of losing so many chances in the first half, the dread whenever we conceded a set piece, each one of which nearly gave me a heart attack. Then the feeling of having been sent to hell after the first goal – our section was completely silent. I spent the early first half straight up dejected and defeated. Then came the utter joy of the first goal. Second goal our section went nuts, compounded by Hwang In Beom celebrating and screaming right in front of us. Their offsides goal straight up gave me a heart attack, and it was only some dude in the first goal turning around and yelling to us “OFFSIDES!” did I realize what as going on. I was sitting in Row F right behind the Czech goal in the second half (our goal in the first), so we had prime time view. I distinctly remember seeing that first goal roll in so slowly, and not recognizing it went in until everyone around me was already on their feet screaming… what a blur, what an experience, what a game.

Thoughts on foreign media reactions:

On one hand, it’s fun to be in the spotlight for once. People are calling us dark horses, comparing us to Pep’s Barca… obviously not true but hey we should savor it while it lasts. Hopefully, it also leads to some big moves for our chronically underrated boys.

That being said, I’m also a bit annoyed at the same time. We Korean fans, who have been following our players week in week out and waking up at ungodly hours to watch NT friendlies in Korea, know all this already. Somehow the world thinks that South Korea = just Son Heung Min (and we use that to our advantage) but we are so much more than that. The two players getting the most attention right now are Hwang In Beom and Lee Kang In – we always knew these guys were good but somehow only now they’re getting the attention they’ve always deserved? We’ve always known that Hwang In Beom was the most important midfielder in our NT since Ki Sung Yong retired in 2018. He never went to any flashy clubs or top leagues for some reason (it took him this long to get to the Netherlands and we’ve always joked that Hwang In Beom has the worst agent in the world, while Seok Hyun Jun had the best), but every single team he went to he was the team’s best midfielder. Lee Kang In as well – did people suddenly forget this man has world class dribbling and vision just because f****ng Luis Enrique (my new most hated manager) refuses to play this guy even after blocking transfer requests? Even though everyone on the PSG acknowledges LKI’s quality (in those “build your ideal footballer” videos, PSG players usually pick LKI for football IQ or left food) and LKI has single handedly saved the team on several occasions earlier this season? Did the world forget this guy led La Liga in successful dribbles when he was 23?

To be fair, I don’t know much about other national teams either so I can’t complain too much that the rest of the world doesn’t know much about us. All these gripes aside, I’m loving the Korea hype!

Preview evaluation

One of our readers commented that we called the set pieces. So let’s see what we got right and wrong in our match preview:

2-1 scoreline: “My official Tavern prediction here would be a win for Korea without keeping a clean sheet, most likely 2-1”

The counterattack pattern: I didn’t see them pressing so hard, but I got one part right where they weight play more towards the left then switch over to Provod or Coufal.

Set pieces: everyone who has watched a Czechia game knows they are set piece specialists; and anyone who watches Korea knows we are not great at set pieces. So not a surprise we conceded that way, but overall we defended set pieces really well to concede only just one.

Midfield fragility, fullbacks not being utilized properly: I was wrong here and VERY GLAD I was.

The space behind the defense: figured we’d attack this route as it is clearly one of Czechia’s biggest weaknesses. “It seems that once you get in behind their defensive line the cohesion can break down.”

Elevation: no way to prove this but I have a hunch that their misfortune of getting Texas as their base camp played a role in how the game played out.

The Mexican fans

Mexicans kind of love us. There are a ton of Korean skincare / food / etc stores in Mexico. They’re one of the biggest fans of Kpop, with president Sheinbaum asking BTS to come to Mexico directly. In football, we had the partnership between Chicharito and Park Ji Sung (I wore a PJS jersey to the match and ppl commented on this), and then there’s 2018 where we helped them out big time. The “Coreano, hermano, ya eres Mexicano” chants were back. The game was essentially a home game. You saw 75-80% green jerseys, but you heard “Corea! Corea! Corea!” chants everywhere; they shouted and clapped the “Daehanminguk” chant with us; and cheered for us and booed the Czechs at every opportunity. I’d even go far as to say they were even more vocal and pro-Korea than us Koreans. Much love to Mexico and Mexican fans!

But we all know that the moment the 2nd game is on the horizon the mood will change completely. All I hope for us that the Korean fans are safe and that things remain civil and free of physical hazards and racism.

Mexico preview:

We can’t play the way we did against Czechia against Mexico. Czechia is a slow team that relies on set pieces and headers. Mexico is quite literally the opposite as we touch upon very briefly here. Preview coming soon!