[Sportschosun Kim Joon-seok] Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo made his first-ever football commentary appearance on KBS, and he described how his partner, commentator Lee Young-pyo, lost his composure after South Korea's shocking defeat to South Africa.
Jeon said during the match, "Lee Young-pyo, who usually does not lose his composure, slammed the desk three times," conveying the tense atmosphere at the scene.
On Thursday the 25th, Korea time, South Korea faced South Africa in the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Monterrey Stadium.
On the day, the "77 duo" of caster Jeon Hyun-moo and commentator Lee Young-pyo finally worked together.
Lee warned, "We need to be careful of runs into the space behind the defense, using South African players' speed.
We also need to watch out for direct long passes," and shared his key viewing points, adding, "There is no such thing as a match where a draw is enough, or a football game where you can relax."
Just one minute after the first half began, South Korea earned a corner kick. However, it did not lead to a goal.
As South Korea missed several chances early on, South Africa began to gain momentum, while South Korea instead looked rushed.
Lee said, "We are the team that can settle for a draw, but South Africa, which must win, is playing as if a draw would be enough. We cannot get caught up in their slow-building strategy."
Still, South Korea kept giving South Africa counterattack opportunities through passing mistakes.
Caster Jeon encouraged the players, saying, "The passing lanes are being cut off too often, so we need to focus more."
Despite constant attacks and chances at both ends, the two teams went into halftime scoreless at 0-0.
Frustrated by the way the match was unfolding, Lee said, "To be honest, the game is not going the way we want it to."
"Some matches simply do not go your way. We have to accept that, make the best choice in that situation, and stay focused," he added, looking ahead to the second half.
In the second half, more attack-minded players such as Son Heung-min, Jens, and Kim Jin-gyu were brought on, raising hopes for a different flow.
But South Africa's goal remained hard to break down, and chances in front of goal kept going to waste. Lee complained, "If you stay out wide, you can never score. I want to tell them, 'If you want to score, get into the center.'"
As South Korea continued to fail to create chances near the box, Lee pointed out the lack of movement from players receiving crosses, saying, "In attacking situations, our players need to move dynamically. Overall, it looks like a fitness issue, or the players receiving the ball are too static."
In the end, South Korea conceded the opening goal to South Africa in the 17th minute of the second half.
South Korea then failed to find an equalizer and lost 1-0 in its final group-stage match.
Lee sighed, saying, "The World Cup is not easy like this. Every match has to be played with everything you have..."
After the match, caster Jeon asked bluntly, "It is not yet confirmed that we are out of the round of 32, but I cannot leave the stadium without feeling disappointed," and then asked, "Did South Africa play well, or did we play badly?"
Lee replied, "Earlier, the South African players said in an interview that they trusted Coach Hugo Broos' strategy and believed they could win if they followed it.
I think that was the clue. They had to win, but tactically they held their positions, and South Korea gave up many counterattack chances. Korean football usually dominates opponents through overwhelming mobility, but because we could not do that here, it was a very difficult match," he summed up.
Jeon then recalled, "Lee Young-pyo said as he came to the stadium that the South African players' comments reminded him of Coach Hiddink in 2002."
Lee acknowledged, "Coach Hugo Broos was excellent as a player and, as a manager, is a master known as the 'wizard of organization.' He also responded calmly in a difficult situation, as expected."
Jeon asked once again, "What was our problem?"
Lee explained, "I understand the tactical intention behind starting Son Heung-min in the second half, but that intention never really appeared from the first half to the end.
Son Heung-min, Jens, and Kim Jin-gyu brought a brief burst of energy after coming on in the second half, but by then the momentum had already shifted to the opponent, so it did not have much effect.
On top of that, with defensive anchor Kim Min-jae out because of a calf injury, the team's defensive organization also fell apart, creating a vicious cycle," he said again.
Caster Jeon concluded by offering hope, saying, "We are not out of the round of 32 yet. If we finish among the top eight of the third-place teams, we can advance to the round of 32. From there, we can reset and avoid repeating the same mistakes."
South Korea finished third in Group A with three points and one win and two losses. Hong Myung-bo's side will now watch the remaining group results and, depending on the permutations, can advance to the round of 32 if it ranks among the top eight of the 12 third-place teams.
narusi@sportschosun.com
