South Korea seeks to end Mexico jinx

Fresh from a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic in its World Cup opener on June 12, South Korea is enjoying an unusually relaxed buildup to its second Group A match against Mexico on June 19.

At every World Cup through Qatar 2022, South Korea had less than five days on average between its first and second group-stage matches. With the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams this year, that turnaround has stretched to seven days, giving players valuable recovery time. On June 13, a day after the win over the Czech Republic, several squad members completed recovery training before spending time in downtown Guadalajara.

Fox Sports Mexico reported that Son Heung-min of LAFC, Kim Seung-gyu of FC Tokyo and Lee Jae-sung of Mainz were among the South Korean players who visited a popular taco restaurant in the city. The broadcaster said the restaurant was likely to attract attention after hosting South Korea's biggest football star and expressed hope that the players would shake off both physical and mental fatigue. The squad also spent June 14 resting, with players meeting family members who had traveled to Mexico to support them rather than taking part in official training sessions.

Mexico, however, remains one of South Korea's most challenging opponents. The two countries have met twice at the World Cup, with Mexico winning both encounters. South Korea lost 3-1 in its opening group match at France 1998 and fell 2-1 in its second group game at Russia 2018. Mexico also leads the overall series with eight wins, three draws and four losses. South Korea has not beaten Mexico since a 1-0 friendly victory in Los Angeles on Feb. 15, 2006, posting one draw and three defeats since then. Mexico is also ranked higher by FIFA, sitting 13th compared with South Korea's 22nd as of June 14.

History presents another challenge. South Korea has never won its second group-stage match at a World Cup. From Switzerland 1954 through Qatar 2022, it went 0-4-7 in those games. Even during its memorable run to the semifinals at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, South Korea could manage only a 1-1 draw against the United States in its second match.

That makes the Mexico game all the more significant. Widely viewed as a potential decider for first place in Group A, it offers South Korea an opportunity to erase two long-standing frustrations at once: its winless record in second group-stage matches and its World Cup losing streak against Mexico.

There are reasons for optimism. The match will be played at Guadalajara Stadium, where South Korea opened the tournament with a victory. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. local time, just an hour earlier than the opener. Mexico will also be without a key player. Cesar Montes, nicknamed "Mexico's Kim Min-jae" and captain for the opening match, was sent off and is suspended for the South Korea game. Some analysts also believe Mexico is not as deep as in previous tournaments, with 12 of the 26 players on its final roster playing domestically. Through the previous World Cup, Mexico owned a 5-5-7 record in second group-stage matches.

"We know this is an important match for both teams after winning our opening games," South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said. "Mexico will have tremendous support from the home crowd, but our victory in the first match should work in our favor."


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com