In the final match of Group H (against Portugal) in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage, Korea won a dramatic come-from-behind victory 2-1 thanks to a theatrical goal in extra time in the second half. Brazil was beaten by Cameroon in the final match of Group G, but will face us by finishing first in the group.
As the group stage ended, all 16 teams from the 32 countries that advanced to the World Cup finals were covered. Korea also placed second in Group H and proudly made it to the round of 16 list. On the 6th, Korea will face Brazil, who is ranked No. 1 in the FIFA rankings, a strong candidate for the championship.
Asian teams, which created a sensation from the beginning of this tournament and made headlines, made it to the round of 16 in three countries, the most ever. Australia and Japan succeeded in advancing to the round of 16 ahead of the host country Qatar and the six Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members, and Korea dramatically passed the group stage.
In the group stage, Asian teams showed formidable potential, with Saudi Arabia defeating champions Argentina and Iran defeating Wales. Japan, which belonged to Group E of the ‘Group of Death’, defeated the soccer powerhouses Germany and Spain in turn, creating a storm to rise to the round of 16 as first place in the group. The fulcrum was the Republic of Korea. After drawing with strong Uruguay, they beat Portugal to advance to the round of 16 among Asian teams.
The round of 16 starts with the match between the Netherlands and the United States at midnight on the 4th. Our eyes turn to the 6th. Following the Japan-Croatia game at 0:00 a.m. on the day, the Korea-Brazil match will be played at 4:00 a.m. If Korea catches Brazil and advances to the quarterfinals, there is a possibility that an unprecedented ‘World Cup final match between Korea and Japan’ will be concluded.
In an interview immediately after advancing to the round of 16, national team captain Son Heung-min said, “I will do my best in the upcoming game,” and when asked about the possibility of a matchup with Brazil, “No one really knows the soccer result. I will do my best to prepare for a few days and play another good game.”
Reporter Kim Bong-gu, Hankyung.com [email protected]