South Korea's gamble with Son Heung-Min backfires ...
Key takeaways
- MONTERREY, Mexico -- South Korea only needed to avoid defeat against South Africa on Wednesday to guarantee their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stages.
- Ninety minutes or so later, the repercussions of his huge call are clear for all to see.
- - As it happened: South Africa shock Korea, Brazil smash Scotland - Tartan party over?
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
MONTERREY, Mexico -- South Korea only needed to avoid defeat against South Africa on Wednesday to guarantee their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stages. Even a draw would have been enough to secure a second-place finish and a round of 32 clash with Canada in Los Angeles on June 28.
It hardly seemed the kind of dire situation which called for bold strategies and, yet, not only did South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo do just that -- he could not have taken a bigger gamble in dropping captain Son Heung-Min from his starting XI.
Ninety minutes or so later, the repercussions of his huge call are clear for all to see. And they are not positive for South Korea. A shock 1-0 loss to Bafana Bafana has seen them slip to third and now have to await the conclusion of the group stage on Saturday to find out if they are even going to reach the knockout rounds as one of the best-performing third-placed teams.