Winger's dribbles and sharp cross set up near-miss against Mexico

"Coach Hong ordered aggressive play," Eom says

Eom Ji-seong of South Korea's national football team speaks to reporters before a recovery training session at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday, the day after the team's Group A match against Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [Yonhap]
Eom Ji-seong of South Korea's national football team speaks to reporters before a recovery training session at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday, the day after the team's Group A match against Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [Yonhap]

South Korea fell 1-0 to Mexico in their Group A second match on Friday, but the team more than held their own and grew increasingly threatening after conceding, creating several dangerous moments in the closing stages.

The day after the narrow defeat, one player stood out in the post-match conversation: Eom Ji-seong. His combination with Jo Gyu-seong in the 42nd minute of the second half was particularly striking.

Eom, who plays for Swansea City, whipped a sharp cross into the box and Jo timed his run perfectly to meet it with a header — only for Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel to make a fine save. The rebound fell to Jo, who stretched to poke it goalward while on the ground, but Rangel gathered that too.

Speaking to reporters before a recovery session at the Chivas Valle Verde training ground in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, on Saturday, Eom said the moment had instantly brought back memories of South Korea's Group A second match against Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

"When I watched the footage after the game, the cross looked quite powerful, but when I actually struck it, the ball seemed to float through the air in slow motion," Eom said. "In that brief moment, the goal against Ghana flashed through my mind. If it had gone in, we would have picked up points and been able to prepare for the next game in a much better mood — it's really disappointing."

In that 2022 match, South Korea had trailed 0-2 at halftime before Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain delivered a precise cross that Jo connected with a header in the 13th minute of the second half to reignite the comeback.

Eom said coach Hong Myung-bo had repeatedly asked him to drive at defenders on the flank and deliver crosses, and that the combination with Jo was a rehearsed move the team had worked on in training.

"I trusted Jo and picked my moment, but the goal just didn't come — I think we were simply unlucky," Eom said. "I'll create more of those chances in the next game."

A key figure at Swansea City in the English Championship, Eom appeared in 44 games last season, contributing two goals and five assists. He has a clear sense of his role within the national team setup.

"The way I can help this team is by creating attacking situations — crosses, shots, that kind of thing," he said. "That's been my strength at club level too, so I tried to show as much of that as I could on the pitch."

Eom, who has scored two goals in 10 senior international appearances, is playing in his first World Cup at this tournament.

He came on as a substitute in both the opening win over the Czech Republic (2-1) and the Mexico match, appearing in consecutive games and injecting energy into the attack with his lively movement.

"I used to watch the World Cup as a fan, so it still doesn't feel real that I'm actually playing in it," Eom said with a laugh. "If anything, that might be why I feel less nervous out there."

Friday's defeat ended South Korea's hopes of finishing top of the group, but they remain in second place and are well positioned to advance to the round of 32. A draw against South Africa in their final group-stage match would be enough to see them through.

"The mood in the squad is good. We still have a great chance to reach the round of 32," Eom said. "The players have done a lot of soul-searching about not scoring against Mexico, and it's given us real motivation for what comes next."


yjc@heraldcorp.com