Japan, ranked 18th in the FIFA rankings, trounced China, ranked 87th, 7-0. In contrast, Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, tied Palestine, ranked 96th, without a goal. It was Hong Myung-bo’s first match, but it was a disgraceful result.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, drew 0-0 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th (Korea time) in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup.
As a result, South Korea and Palestine will start the third Asian qualifying round with one point each.
Korea was included in Group B of the third preliminary round along with Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, and Kuwait. Although away matches to Middle Eastern countries are considered to be physically burdensome, Korea is considered to have overwhelming power. As the upcoming match was at home to Palestine, which is ranked 96th by FIFA, it was expected to win the match completely.
However, the outlook completely turned out to be wrong. Korea struggled repeatedly throughout the match, failing to effectively target the Palestinian defense. Tactics in the attack part were poor, and the team relied on the individual capabilities of superstars such as Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. They lost concentration on defense and widened the gap between the lines.
In the end, Korea ended up with a scoreless draw. Korea and Palestine are 73 notches apart in FIFA rankings. In addition, the match was Korea’s home match held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. As it was Hong Myung-bo’s first match, the team had strong motivation. Nevertheless, the team tied the match. It was a match that could be called the “Palestinian Shock.”
On the other hand, Japan defeated China 7-0 in the first Group C match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan on the 5th.
Japan dominated the market share through a sophisticated build-up system from the beginning of the first half. It was more than just soccer that turned the ball around. He constantly tapped on China’s defense line by giving detailed passes in the offensive zone.
There was also a crack penetrating China’s dense defense. Kubo Takefusa narrowed down the center from the right side to score a threatening shot and a cross. Players who are targeting the half space also showed signs of success. They displayed perfect teamwork as if cogs were in sync. Eventually, they pushed their forces to the end of the second half to secure a landslide 7-0 victory.
Japan’s complete victory makes the Korean national soccer team even more humble. Korea and Japan were called the best opponents in Asia and fought for their pride in the top position. The performances of the Asian Cup and the World Cup have always been compared. 메이저놀이터
However, while Japan beat China 7-0 in the third Asian qualifying round for the North-China World Cup, Korea had a draw with Palestine. China is also ahead of Palestine in FIFA ranking. The gap between Japan and China is also smaller than that between Korea and Palestine. There are no factors that can be pushed back, but the result was clearly divided. It was an outcome that informs the current state of Korean soccer.
Team Korea led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, which ended its first match with Palestine in a draw, but the draw was too disgraceful to exonerate the team that played its first match since its inauguration. Japan beat China, which has a higher FIFA ranking than Palestine, 7-0. Team Korea led by Coach Hong Myung-bo left an indelible scar from the start.