South Korea shows off playmaking prowess

Hello and welcome to the first of many World Cup newsletters you’ll be seeing over the next month-plus. The regular format will be changing up a bit, with all of our writers chiming in with stuff they found interesting from each game, and everyone’s sections will be signed by them. We’ll still be keeping the same Monday-Friday posting schedule, meaning we’ll have a lot to say on the Monday newsletters.

A feel-good opener

There wasn’t much to say about Mexico vs. South Africa from an analytical perspective. South Africa were bad, and their first red card ensured that they wouldn’t be able to rectify that. Hosts Mexico were in control throughout the match and got their fans feeling like a deep run is possible, even if their opponent turned in an F-tier performance.

While it wasn’t the best match, we at least got this fantastic moment:

Not only did Raul Jimenez score his first career World Cup goal in front of his home crowd, but he got to do it in the same stadium where he started his professional career with Club America. Even when the quality of football was questionable, the vibes were immaculate. —KM

Lee Kang-In stars for South Korea

The past few years for South Korea’s national team have been chaotic. Jurgen Klinsmann was relieved of his managerial duties following a disappointing exit in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup. The appointment of Hong Myung-Bo was not received well, and while qualification for the 2026 World Cup was achieved, there were some concerning results in the months leading up to the tournament. But a good World Cup run can wipe out previous bad vibes, and South Korea were fortunate to be handed a workable group which included hosts Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa. 

South Korea’s opening match, a thrilling 2-1 victory over Czechia, was an interesting encounter between two nations who came in with almost completely different strategies. For Czechia, they were content to hunker down out of possession and survive off of select moments of aerial dominance from open play and especially set pieces. It led to South Korea having the vast majority of possession, trying to break down a stubborn defensive block. This was not something they were proficient in heading into the tournament. Fortunately for them, their stars showed up and put in an impressive performance from open play. Included was Lee Kang-In, who showed why Atletico Madrid is trying to sign him from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

The first roughly 15 minutes saw Lee have his fingerprints all over the match, whether it be coming deep and trying to pick out teammates with aerial passes, or finding space between the lines. He nearly created a big chance for Lee Jae-sung in the 11th minute on a delightful lob over the top of Czechia’s backline, before receiving in the left halfspace and attempting a long range shot which forced a save from Matej Kovár. As the 1st half moved on, South Korea continued finding themselves in dangerous areas through coordinated off-ball movement. However, they couldn’t take advantage and went into halftime level with Czechia despite outshooting them 8-2. 

One constant theme throughout the match was Lee being able to attract two on the ball, and slipping teammates through via quick hitting passes. This nearly led to South Korea taking the lead early in the 2nd half with him and Hwang In-beom interchanging positions before the latter hit a low strike towards goal, forcing a save and a juicy rebound which Lee Jae-sung couldn’t capitalize on. Despite Czechia taking the lead against the run of play from a long throw, South Korea quickly equalized with Lee Kang-In pulling the strings once again. Hwang In-Beom found a soft spot in the left channel against Czechia’s low block, with Lee recognizing the darting run being made and expertly feeding Hwang towards the box. A neat bit of footwork and delightful chip made it 1-1. It was Hwang who played a key part in South Korea’s late winner, running in-behind as the free man on the right side to set up Oh Hyeon-gyu at the near post, which left Kovár flat-footed. The last stretch of the match saw South Korea hold on against a late charge from Czechia.

Considering the difficulties South Korea have had, their performance versus Czechia was a pleasant surprise. They were able to dictate the terms of engagement in open play, highlighted by the performances of Hwang In-Beom and Lee Kang-In. In the case of Lee, it was a reminder of how fun of a talent he can be at his best. He was elusive on the ball, and was constantly making the right reads with his passing. If he can continue this going forward, he could help South Korea produce an inspiring tournament run and make himself a prime transfer target in the process. —MM

Looking ahead to Brazil vs. Morocco

As Brazil and Morocco face off, all eyes from London to Ibiza and the rest of the world will be on New York (for the pedants among you, I am aware the stadium is technically in New Jersey).

This is set to be the first blockbuster contest of the World Cup, featuring two teams in the top ten of the FIFA rankings. Brazil’s issues coming into the World Cup are well-documented, but they undoubtedly have the potential to be strong contenders should they click. Morocco, meanwhile, have an excellent recent tournament record that includes runs to the last World Cup semi-final and AFCON final earlier this year, but the departure of Walid Regragui as well as some injury concerns leave some question marks around them, too.

With a potential banana skin fixture against Scotland awaiting both teams in the group stage, they will be keen to get off to a good start. Some epic battles are in the offing including Vinícius Júnior vs Achraf Hakimi, but the key to the match may well lie in midfield.

As Patrick and Hayden discussed in the most recent podcast episode, Brazil are likely to line up with a two-player midfield, in which a lot will rest on the shoulders of Bruno Guimarães. Morocco have their own technicians in the middle of the park with whom they will look to control the tempo of proceedings, but a wildcard option could be young Ayoub Bouaddi.

The Lille teenager committed to the Atlas Lions over France just ahead of the World Cup, and offers something different to the established starters with his dogged defensive work, relentless pressing and smart duel-winning. He can also set off on some great carries with the ball, so it is his passing that needs the most work in terms of his future development.

Bouaddi, who became Lille’s youngest-ever appearance-maker just after his 16th birthday, is closing in on 100 senior appearances already after consecutive seasons as a first-team regular. He is being linked with a big-money transfer this summer, with Arsenal reportedly having a €60m bid rejected. For the moment, he will hope to get a chance to further prove his credentials against the best of the best. —NS

And finally, if you’re interested in football gambling, you should check out Variance Betting. Ted won his bet on Mexico -1.5 yesterday, and has bets on 5 more games between now and Monday.

World Cup lines can get pretty wacky, and Ted explains his thought process behind how to evaluate the odds. We also cover MLS, Champions League, Premier League and EFL Championship betting throughout the year, and you can subscribe here.

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