South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo praised his side’s determination and unity after they came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their World Cup Group A opener on Thursday.
The Koreans fell behind to a Ladislav Krejci header in the second half but responded strongly, with Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu finding the net to secure all three points in Guadalajara.
Hong revealed that his pre-match message focused on resilience and teamwork.
“Before the match, I told the players two things — never give up until the final whistle and stay united as one team,” he said. “Whether on the pitch or on the bench, everyone must work together.”
Despite the victory, captain Son Heung-min endured a frustrating outing, missing several chances before being replaced by Oh, who went on to score the winning goal.
Hong, however, backed his skipper, saying: “Son is our best player and a reliable captain. We believe he gave everything for the team.”
The coach admitted South Korea need to improve their finishing but was pleased with the overall performance.
The win leaves South Korea level on three points with Mexico at the top of Group A ahead of a crucial meeting between the two sides on June 18.
“Both teams have three points, so the next match will be very important,” Hong said.
