South Korea impressed in possession but failed to find the breakthrough as they went into half-time level at 0-0 against the Czech Republic in their Group A opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match at Estadio Akron saw South Korea take control early. They pressed high, moved the ball quickly and pinned the Czech Republic deep inside their own half for long stretches of the opening 20 minutes.
Captain Son Heung-min stood at the centre of almost everything dangerous. The Tottenham forward had five attempts in the first half and regularly drifted inside from the left to test the Czech defence. His best chance came in the 38th minute, when he drove forward from midfield, cut inside and curled a left-footed effort just wide of the near post.
South Korea also created pressure from set-pieces, but their delivery repeatedly failed to beat the first defender. That allowed the Czech Republic to survive the early storm and gradually slow the tempo of the game.
After struggling to keep possession in the opening stages, the Czech side settled around the 20-minute mark. They began to break up Korea’s rhythm and forced the match into a more cautious contest in midfield.
The final big moment of the half arrived in stoppage time. Son combined well on the edge of the box and received the ball back from a low cross, but he failed to connect cleanly with his right foot and a defender cleared the danger.
At the break, the score remained South Korea 0-0 Czech Republic. Korea looked the sharper side and created the better openings, but their finishing let them down. Czechia, meanwhile, will feel encouraged by their defensive discipline after weathering sustained pressure in the opening 45 minutes.
