South Korea vs Czech Republic — Son Heung-min’s final dance: a perfect start or a tough opening?

To be honest, this match between South Korea and Czech is far harder to predict than the Mexico game. The two teams’ world rankings aren’t far apart—South Korea 25, Czech 37—but rankings sometimes really don’t mean much. South Korea has Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in. On paper, their strength is indeed better than Czech’s. But those European giants from Czech are so physically dominant in duels—can South Korea stand up to the impact they bring? I’m a little worried.

First, let’s talk about South Korea’s situation. Son Heung-min is 34 this year, which very likely makes this his last World Cup. Have you seen his recent interviews? He said that every time he thinks this is the last World Cup of his life, during training he ends up working late into the night. That kind of fighting spirit is definitely a good thing, but I’m also afraid he might push himself too hard and end up tightening himself up too much. In the first match of the World Cup, the opponent will definitely give him special attention. On the Czech side, they will probably assign Soček or Čauflar to mark him specifically. Physical duels will definitely not be few.

Next, Lee Kang-in. This kid won two Champions League titles at Paris Saint-Germain. Even though most of them were as a substitute, his technical ability is truly excellent. His dribbling and passing vision are among the top in Asian players. The problem is that he’s relatively afraid of that kind of close, body-to-body grappling defense. Czech’s Soček is close to 1.90 meters tall—once he stands there, it’s hard for Lee Kang-in to even manage a turn. If South Korea’s midfield can’t create receiving space for Lee Kang-in, then South Korea’s attack will basically have to rely on Son Heung-min going solo.

So where does Czech’s advantage lie? It’s simple: headers and set pieces. Watch Czech’s match footage and you’ll see that about half of their goals are scored from set pieces or crosses from the flanks. Schick is 1.91 meters, Soček is 1.92 meters, and Krejčí is also a big guy. For South Korea, apart from Kim Min-jae, most of the defenders are under 1.85 meters tall—so their aerial ability really is a hidden risk. If Czech frequently send in high balls, South Korea’s penalty area will definitely be tense and chaotic.

In their three previous head-to-head meetings, they’ve each won once and drawn once—so no one has absolute certainty. The odds are also basically 50-50. South Korea has a slight edge, but not an obvious one. My personal feeling is that this match is very likely to be a low-scoring game, with total goals not exceeding two. If South Korea can seize the opening and score within the first twenty minutes, then they can comfortably play on the counterattack. If Czech can get on their feet first and drag it into the second half, South Korea’s players’ stamina will drop, and Czech’s set pieces could become the killer weapon.

Finally, my prediction: South Korea won’t lose, but the probability of a draw is really not low. If you’re making predictions at Gate Plaza, you might consider the double option “South Korea win + draw,” or just bet on a draw. Of course, if you’re a die-hard Son Heung-min fan and you want to bet on South Korea to win, that’s also fine—but I have to remind you: this is definitely not a free win.

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