South Korea Stumbles in World Cup Qualifiers, Held to Draw by Palestine
Seoul, South Korea – South Korea’s hopes for a strongstart in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers were dampened on Tuesday as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Palestine atthe Seoul World Cup Stadium. The result leaves the Taeguk Warriors with a point in Group B, a disappointing outcome against a team ranked significantly lower in theFIFA rankings.
Despite fielding a star-studded lineup featuring the likes of Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, all of whom play in Europe’s top leagues,South Korea struggled to break down a resolute Palestinian defense.
The match was a tense affair from the outset, with both teams showing a clear determination to secure a positive result. South Korea, however, struggled to create clear-cutchances in the first half, with their first shot on target not coming until the 17th minute. The Palestinians, meanwhile, were content to sit deep and defend, relying on counter-attacks to threaten the Korean goal.
The first half saw a few key moments, including a yellow card for Hwang In-beom in the 20th minute for a foul on Palestine’s Seyam. Two minutes later, Seyam headed the ball into the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. South Korea, despite enjoying a significant amount of possession, failed to capitalize on their dominance, leaving thescore at 0-0 at the break.
The second half saw a similar pattern, with South Korea dominating possession but struggling to find a way through the Palestinian defense. Lee Kang-in had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the 60th minute, but his shot from inside the box wentwide. He then had another chance in the 73rd minute, but his free-kick was saved by the Palestinian goalkeeper.
Son Heung-min, who was heavily marked throughout the match, also had a chance to score late in the game, but his shot hit the crossbar and bouncedout.
The final whistle blew with the score still locked at 0-0, leaving both teams with mixed feelings. For South Korea, it was a disappointing result against a team they were expected to beat comfortably. For Palestine, it was a hard-earned point on the road against a much strongeropponent.
We are disappointed with the result, said South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo after the match. We created a lot of chances, but we couldn’t score. We need to improve our finishing and our ability to break down teams that defend deep.
The draw leaves South Korea with alot of work to do if they want to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Their next match is against Oman in Muscat on September 10th, and they will be looking to get their campaign back on track with a win.
For Palestine, the draw is a huge boost to theirconfidence. They will be looking to build on this result and cause more upsets in the group.
The match highlighted the growing competitiveness of Asian football, with even lower-ranked teams capable of holding their own against the continent’s powerhouses. South Korea will need to find a way to overcome their finishing woesand improve their ability to break down stubborn defenses if they want to achieve their goal of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
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