South Korean players and coaches acknowledge the crowd after beating Kuwait 3-1 in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City on Thursday. (Yonhap)
It was barely two months ago that South Korea were held to a goalless draw by underdogs Palestine to begin the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Boos rained down from disgruntled fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sept. 5, some voicing their displeasure with the controversial hiring of Hong Myung-bo as head coach, and others letting their feelings known about the team's lackluster showing. Defender Kim Min-jae even argued with some fans in the stands after the match and said afterward he was disappointed that there were people who wanted the national team to fail.
Things looked bleak then, with many calling for Hong's head after just one match in charge.
Four victories in four matches later, however, the state of affairs is decidedly different.
Fresh off a 3-1 win over Kuwait in their latest Group B match on Thursday, South Korea, ranked 22nd, will look to extend their winning streak to five against 100th-ranked Palestine on Tuesday.
Palestine will be the home team but the match will be played at Amman International Stadium in the Jordanian capital of Amman. Due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Palestine will be forced to play home matches at neutral sites until further notice. The match kicks off at 5 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. in South Korea.
At the same Amman venue on Oct. 10, South Korea defeated Jordan 2-0. Now leading Group B with 13 points, South Korea will try to take another step closer to the World Cup berth against the last-place team in their group.
The top two teams from each of the three groups in this round will qualify for the World Cup, while teams finishing in third and fourth will move on to the fourth round. South Korea have a five-point lead over Jordan and Iraq with five matches remaining.
Palestine, meanwhile, have gone winless with two draws and three losses.
Hong has mostly silenced his detractors by coaching his side to some convincing wins over the past two months and by successfully infusing young talent along the way. The government's probe into the coaching search process by the Korea Football Association found no evidence of wrongdoing on Hong's part, and the tactician himself said after Thursday's win that he finds himself in "a great situation" that has allowed him to stay focused on his goal of taking the Taegeuk Warriors to the World Cup.
Captain Son Heung-min scored his 50th goal Thursday to celebrate his return to international duty, after missing the two World Cup qualifiers in October with a hamstring injury. The goal tied Son with former striker Hwang Sun-hong for second on the all-time South Korean list. Son is eight behind former Bundesliga star Cha Bum-kun.
With 130 caps, Son is also within striking distance of the South Korean record of 136, shared by Cha and Hong.
The Palestine match will be South Korea's final game of 2024, and Son said Thursday he'd like nothing more than to finish the year on a winning note.
"A lot of people must have been worried when we didn't get off to a good start in this round," Son said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to put on a good performance in ideal conditions and win our last match of the year."
Young offensive stars have also contributed to South Korea's recent success. Striker Oh Se-hun has scored in back-to-back matches. Midfielder Bae Jun-ho has a goal and two assists in his past three matches, including one start in Son's absence last month. Bae replaced Son in Thursday's match in the 64th minute, with Hong trying to ease Son back into action following his injury layoff.
Hong said after the win that he will continue to manage Son's workload, emphasizing the importance of the talisman's long-term health. If Bae can maintain his form, restrictions on Son should have minimal impact on the South Korean offense. (Yonhap)
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