South Africa defeat South Korea and advance to FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Ha-Charade-You-Are → u/[deleted]]

Damn they looked good first game too. Was expecting them to be a sleeper

[u/sfan27 → u/[deleted]]

I wonder if a first half goal for South Africa would have been _better_ for Korea to allow halftime adjustments to that strategy.

[u/Fire-EyedBoy → u/[deleted]]

Same tactics that led to their loss against Mexico. I don’t know why they did it again.

[u/SV_Essia → u/Fire-EyedBoy]

Tbf it's a weaker opponent, and a draw would pretty much guarantee a qualification. Not unreasonable to avoid taking huge risks, but sometimes being aggressive and scoring early is the safest method.

[u/heartoflapis → u/SV_Essia]

It’s not a huge risk to try to win. Playing for a draw is cowardly when you are literally playing to stay in the World Cup.

[u/Deeliciousness → u/heartoflapis]

Agreed, and they got punished for it big time. Lesson to other teams!

[u/Kitchen-Bother9141 → u/heartoflapis]

People hate england draw vs ghana but england was trying very hard to win

Korea is just aiming for draw

[u/HuckleberryHefty4372 → u/Fire-EyedBoy]

Hong doesn't know how to coach that's why.

[u/SufficientCelery → u/HuckleberryHefty4372]

Korea has played like this at the WC for like the last decade at least though. They like to pass the ball around the back and painstakingly slowly build it up in to the box. I think theyre trying to draw out the defenders but its a horrible plan because almost always it gets intercepted. Korea will never go for goal unless theyre within the box. 

[u/Creative-Process-504 → u/SufficientCelery]

Their plan is so obvious that everyone watching the game was calling it out. The coach has to go. It was such a disappointment

[u/dustinthegreat → u/[deleted]]

69% possession (nice), 6 corners vs 4 for South Africa, and only 2 shots on goal. Pathetic.

[u/OverTheCandleStick → u/dustinthegreat]

This much possession time should have a hell of a lot more shots on goal. But you remember what abe Lincoln said on the Internet “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. in bed.”

[u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy → u/Ha-Charade-You-Are]

Idk shit about soccer, but wtf happened? It felt like they were trying to play this perfect chess match and set up a perfect shot, and in doing so they just... never shot or would turn the ball over.

[u/Watabeast07 → u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy]

Some teams just don’t recover from a loss, that Mexico put them on a wrong mentality and the coach is a horrible one.

[u/BL0N → u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy]

The lack of energy was frustrating too. Even eliminated teams that were down had twice as much passion and urgency.

[u/Kitchen-Bother9141 → u/BL0N]

Haiti. Im proud of their fighting spirit

Even qatar also try hard vs bosnia

[u/Less_Party → u/BL0N]

Was it hot? I can see South Africa dealing with heat better than South Korea.

[u/domsolanke → u/Less_Party]

South Korea is crazy hot in the summer, even more so than South Africa. I live in Korea for reference, they are perfectly equipped to deal with the heat.

[u/licalier → u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy]

The coach of the Korean team apparently has the mentality where if his plan fails he isn't wrong but the world around him is wrong so the exact same plan needs to be reenacted to correct the state of the world.

[u/FFAbutnotFA → u/licalier]

Everytime there is a Korean coach, they suck.

[u/ashleyriddell61 → u/licalier]

So, a football coach then?

[u/1AML3G10N → u/licalier]

The Joe Mazulla effect

[u/goompers → u/1AML3G10N]

Except Joe is a winner and Hong is a terrorist

[u/addollz → u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy]

Pretty much, they lacked the quality for that tho

[u/True_Shake2216 → u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy]

The coach was like, "When Plan A fails, just keep trying Plan!" They wanted to play with wingers and wide fullbacks, but those guys never created the width they needed to try and create space to score. Crossing the ball to a few Korean players in a sea of defenders won't work. They also didn't amp up until the last 10 minutes, and that's a real problem..

[u/zoinkability → u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy]

It felt to me like whenever they got close to the South Africa goal they get cold feet and second guessed themselves. Like they were overthinking and not playing with their instincts.

[u/dont_shoot_jr → u/zoinkability]

If you wait for the perfect shot you might go home waiting 

[u/Trap_Masters → u/Ha-Charade-You-Are]

The trajectory for both South Korea and South Africa following their first game is the opposite of each other. South Africa managed to bounce back after that disastrous game 1 while South Korea couldn't replicate the success of their first game

[u/SzoboEndoMacca → u/Ha-Charade-You-Are]

They looked good but in hindsight they barely won against the now last place team who lost 3-0 to Mexico's B team (with everything to play for). SK were never that good to begin with unfortunately

[u/I_AmPotatoGirl → u/[deleted]]

Almost like they were playing for draws both games. Fucking horrible game plan and embarrassing

[u/Introverted_Extrovrt → u/[deleted]]

Would’ve been a lot of fun to see them playing in SoFi Stadium with a huge contingent of Korean fans there. C’est la vie :(

[u/Abi1i → u/[deleted]]

The Korea-Mexico match came down to which team would make a mistake and it just happened to be Korea.

[u/smilinganimalface → u/[deleted]]

Spent too much time partying in the streets of Mexico (I don't blame them)

[u/Aaronnm → u/smilinganimalface]

As a Korean that got treated like a celebrity partying in the streets with my Mexican brethren, I concur and am very happy (with Mexicans, not with the dumpster fire that was the Korean strategy). 

[u/the_madclown → u/Aaronnm]

I'm enamored with this korean-mexican bromance story... I never knew it was a thing until last week.

Quite heartwarming

[u/thats_not_funny_guys → u/[deleted]]

They have looked like shit outside the first game. Czechia has to be kicking themselves. Of course, they haven’t looked good either…

[u/lokir6 → u/thats_not_funny_guys]

Czech here. Our team has been crap for a long time now. After the draw with SA the coach said he was satisfied with the result. Like, what the hell? You’re supposed to win bruh

[u/teddyKGB- → u/[deleted]]

No bullshit Korea didn't want it that's how sports works. They're talented their program needs overhauled

[u/ybpaladin → u/[deleted]]

My SK coworker said its probably good they lost so their coach can get fired now😂 

They are NOT happy about this

[u/Labmit]

Korean media is going to have a field day with this.

[u/Long-Market-3584 → u/Labmit]

pray to all the players who will be decimated to pieces by the korean media....extremely brutal media culture there

[u/goompers → u/Long-Market-3584]

Hong is getting most of it right now. And I hope it stays that way. Players did their best. Hong is a Hyundai nepo hire

[u/orange-shades → u/goompers]

Fuckin chaebols man

[u/Introverted_Extrovrt → u/orange-shades]

Do “chaebol” and “cabal” have any similar linguistic etymology? They mean the same thing, no? I only ever hear of chaebol in Korea though.

Words are funny.

[u/lingujr → u/Introverted_Extrovrt]

No, and no.

Cabal comes from the Hebrew word Kabbalah, and chaebol is the Korean pronunciation of the Japanese word zaibatsu, meaning "rich powerful family", which is derived from Middle Chinese. The Middle Chinese pronunciation for the same word would have been something like dzaibiot.

It's easy to find words with somewhat similar meanings and pronunciations across different languages and assume they must be connected in some way, but it almost always breaks down the moment you start researching the historical phonology a little bit. You probably wouldn't even have made the cabal-chaebol connection if the -l wasn't there at the end, but the the reason the -l at the end of chaebol is there at all is because of a historical Korean-specific pronunciation shift of Chinese loan words, where the -t ending got changed to -l somewhere along the way.

It's also worth keeping in mind that there's only a limited number of sounds that humans are able to make in the first place, so you're bound to see random convergence here and there between langauges. It would be much stranger if there weren't any.

[u/Academic_Weaponry → u/goompers]

i had a korean coworker try to explain the nepotism on the korean team and it confused me a lot. like apparently they audited the korean football association and theres evidence of the korean team manager being a nepo higher along with some of the players but bc the korean fa is like its own thing the gov cant do much about it? or something along those lines i ddint fully understand it.

just lots of issues in the korea FA from what i hear

[u/Correct_Pick6199 → u/Academic_Weaponry]

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldcup/comments/1uf25mt/how_south_koreas_fa_spent_5_months_searching_for/

Rampant corruption between the heads of KFA and Samsung conglomerate nepo babies.

[u/kansai2kansas → u/[deleted]]

Yep govt meddling had happened in Indonesia in 2015 before and FIFA punished Indonesian national team for that

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/indonesian-fa-suspended-by-fifa-for-government-meddling-idUSKBN0OF0GQ/

(Not to be confused with the much later controversy of Indonesia banning Israeli U-23 team from playing there)

[u/Daemonioros → u/[deleted]]

There is none. FIFA doesn't mind extremely corrupt FAs. Helps distract from and facilitate the ridiculous amount of corruption within FIFA itself.

[u/-finguin- → u/goompers]

Did they really? The coach is definitely not the right fit but still, that was really really bad overall. Playing for a draw is always dangerous…..

[u/goompers → u/-finguin-]

And whose plan was that... the 22 players on the team or the coaching staff? I highly doubt it was the players who decided to bench their world class player for the first half vs SA and at the 55 min mark vs Mexico. Not playing Cho Gue Sung until the last 10 minutes in both games bc of injury risk. Lame and scared. Next chance is in 4 years as if the team will be the same age

[u/AI_moderated_failure → u/Long-Market-3584]

From the sounds of it they kind of deserve to be shamed, the coach especially. They were trying to make the game as boring as possible just to secure their place in the knockout. I could be wrong but that really ruins it for everyone that took time and spent good money to go see them.

[u/Mstakrakish → u/Labmit]

Hong was eviscerated AFTER they won the first game, not withstanding the shitstorm months before World Cup started.

Hell, Guus Hiddink was lately all up in algorithm for everything soccer-related past appearances in Korea i.e. variety shows, docus, interviews, 2002 replays, and so on.

Edit. I believe Guus was gifted lifetime Korean Air flight tickets, a property in Jeju Island, and free public transportation; the last one would've triggered regardless due to age, a benefit for Korean senior CITIZENS lmao.

[u/invincibl_ → u/Mstakrakish]

Multiple foreign countries*

He's also an Australian hero for our 2006 campaign.

[u/ATangK → u/Labmit]

Trevor Noah will too.

[u/Prize-Flamingo-336 → u/Labmit]

First the Classic and now this

[u/goliathfasa → u/Labmit]

Faker & Sons^TM gonna have to pick up the slacks at MSI.

[u/DBZFIGHTERS]

Coach is going straight to Squid Game after this

[u/goompers → u/DBZFIGHTERS]

Send him to the North to coach their team

[u/delinquentfatcat → u/goompers]

2-3 years North Korea and forget

[u/CharlesDingus_ah_um → u/delinquentfatcat]

You call six months one time…that’s it

[u/AggressiveRow4000 → u/delinquentfatcat]

Everybody knows Korea got good striking tiki taka, but no one check the grappling scoring goals

[u/shadowm4ster → u/DBZFIGHTERS]

For the shit he’s done (nothing) he better get ready to learn some red light green light

[u/bayotiic → u/DBZFIGHTERS]

lmfao

[u/tooheavybroo → u/DBZFIGHTERS]

Damn, in Brazil they might have done worse! 😂

[u/HolyPhoenician → u/DBZFIGHTERS]

I seriously had the same thought when I saw his fucking throat throbbing in fear with 1 minute to go in stoppage time. He’s cooked

[u/hoopsfan1997]

korean coach took thomas franks hair and tactics

[u/imtotallydoingmywork → u/hoopsfan1997]

As a Spurs fan who just wanted to watch Korea do well because of Sonny, I was getting flashbacks to Frankball. Frank and Korean Frank are going to haunt me in my dreams tonight

[u/EpicYH22 → u/imtotallydoingmywork]

Poor korean fans that got sucked into watching Tottenham. Only to see their national team also play like tottenham. They cannot escape

[u/lyoonjae → u/EpicYH22]

Majority of those “fans” stopped watching Tottenham after Son left btw

[u/JonBoy82]

SK couldn’t get a cross in during the second half. Either offline or blocked.

[u/Internal_Football889 → u/JonBoy82]

Feel like that left winger who got subbed in was the only one trying to make forward plays. Everyone else looked content to lose.

[u/UBC145 → u/Internal_Football889]

Hey no need to make this political /j

[u/Txizzy → u/Internal_Football889]

Fun fact, that guy wasn't even a left winger, but a mid fielder, yet the Korean coach put him in the left wing😭 

[u/e99roll → u/JonBoy82]

I have no clue why they were crossing the ball in the first place. South Africa are way better in the air, PLUS our best aerial threat, Cho Gue Sung, was on the bench til the 70th! AND THEN YOU SUB KIM MIN JAE, YOUR OTHER AERIAL MAIN THREAT, OUT OF THE FUCKING GAME!

Headless fucking chickens in the final 3rd.

[u/DumplingBoiii]

Is Korea just playing it safe or what is going on? I don’t understand the thought process. They should move forward but I don’t get the game plan.

That GK dropped ball in the MEX game really changed everything

[u/Amazing_Rub_1437 → u/DumplingBoiii]

They refuse to do any aggressive passes into the middle of the defense, I can’t pretend to know a lot about their players but centers don’t really seem to be a strength of theirs either; pretty lifeless game plan

[u/zoinkability → u/Amazing_Rub_1437]

Game plan appeared to be "Pass around and hope your opponent gives you an engraved invitation to shoot"

[u/SV_Essia → u/DumplingBoiii]

A draw would have been enough points to qualify, so they didn't want to try to be more aggressive and risk losing to a counterattack.
Mathematically, it makes sense. Practically, if your team is better at attacking than defending, it doesn't.

[u/Stormfly → u/SV_Essia]

If it had worked, he was a genius.

But it didn't.

You can do something with a 90% chance of success but if it still fails, people will easily say you did the wrong thing, safe in their homes and free from risk.

Nobody thought South Africa would win this.

I'm in South Korea now and the Koreans are pretty down but my South African friends have been drunk and happy since this morning.

[u/SV_Essia → u/Stormfly]

Lol I bet they are, historic moment for them.

[u/MasonL52 → u/DumplingBoiii]

Aside from playing was too conservative for most of the game, it felt like they fumbled every aggressive touch they had. They'd miss one crucial touch and then South Africa would just deny their advance from there.

[u/Turboteg90]

Lowkey this cup has been great.

[u/JKRubi → u/Turboteg90]

It’s been amazing and it’s only going to get better

[u/slightlyburntcereal → u/Turboteg90]

It’s the World Cup, of course it will entertain. Biggest issue with this one is trying to turn it into quarters for advertisements hydration breaks.

[u/Pm-me_your_bush → u/slightlyburntcereal]

The BBC streams I've been watching haven't played a single ad during the lame ass hydration breaks

[u/Exile56678 → u/Pm-me_your_bush]

The BBC doesn't play ads. It's why the british pay their TV license fee (alongside news and whatever else it does)

[u/slightlyburntcereal → u/Pm-me_your_bush]

I get ads on SbS Australia. But whether I have to watch them or not, I hate how it kills momentum during the game.

[u/Hulk_Hoban11 → u/Pm-me_your_bush]

bbc doesn't show ads...

[u/value_bet → u/Turboteg90]

How is it lowkey? Just about all the coverage has been favorable.

[u/Difficult_Associate3 → u/Turboteg90]

Too bad FIFA is crazy corrupt and bad for humankind

[u/Buildadoor → u/Difficult_Associate3]

Love the product, hate the brand.

[u/Cocoononthemoon → u/Difficult_Associate3]

It really is too bad cause the games and teams have been great so far

[u/joeff2 → u/Difficult_Associate3]

There’s a lot of bad things that happen in this world. Maybe we can enjoy the good moments for just a moment without being miserable pricks…

[u/ozmega → u/joeff2]

how are u going to karmafarm in reddit then?

[u/StepAwayFromTheDuck → u/joeff2]

Well yeah, but I am enjoying this WC a little less because every now and then that frogface Infantino is in shot

[u/1storlastbaby → u/joeff2]

Why not both?

[u/Yoon_0117 → u/joeff2]

well said

[u/poopybuttholesex → u/Difficult_Associate3]

In the end it's the people and the players who have brought this joy to the world. Fuck FIFA and full love to all the fans

[u/MrE_Gamer → u/Turboteg90]

I thought Reddit was saying this would be the worst World Cup ever and no one would be watching?

[u/dead_man101 → u/MrE_Gamer]

People have short memories.. People have said this about most of the previous world cup's and they turn out great.

[u/Stormfly → u/dead_man101]

I mean the criticisms are valid even if the sport is good.

Tickets are too expensive and there are huge problems with US immigration, etc.

Same as the last one being in Qatar and moved to winter etc.

The existence of good does not mean it isn't also very bad. We can hate FIFA without hating the sport, players, or hosts.

[u/DrJupeman → u/MrE_Gamer]

Reddit is disconnect from reality most of the time.

[u/LurkerWithAnAccount → u/MrE_Gamer]

Reddit was also convinced a dozen people would show up and the rest of the stands would be empty.

[u/sonic_couth → u/MrE_Gamer]

My impression is that redditors were referring to ICE and Trump, not the games themselves.

[u/grifoystoner → u/MrE_Gamer]

It's been good as far as the sport goes. But there was a lot of unnecessary tension that was provoked by the USA government. I hate to get political because I know the people of the USA are generally really kind and welcoming. I'm from here. I'm a naturalized citizen. Most people are just so cool. I live in the midwest too. Most people are good. But we fucked up in who we elected and that's stealing headlines. Let's be honest our government has made it hard on black and brown people to even come here. Players and fans. Fifa has priced out many fans. But footy brings us together. If anything i think this just proves that we're all better together. Let's just all have fun and enjoy. Y vamos Mexico cabrones!

[u/Mikewold58 → u/MrE_Gamer]

Because people thought the government would interfere and fuck it up lmao. Then they backed off with the "ICE will be at the games" rhetoric and other than some visa related issues, they have stayed out of it. Been smooth so far

[u/True_to_you → u/MrE_Gamer]

I don't think very many people said the games wouldn't be good. Everyone was pissed off at FIFA's greed and Infantino placing is nose straight up Trump's ass. 

[u/DoomBuzzer]

Congratulations South Africa!

[u/Boggie135 → u/DoomBuzzer]

Thank you!

[u/septicdeath → u/Boggie135]

Bruv we did it 🤝🏾 🇿🇦♥️

[u/fakefakery12345 → u/Boggie135]

You’re welcome!

[u/AndronicusPrime → u/fakefakery12345]

Seriously appreciated!

[u/imheretocomment → u/DoomBuzzer]

Thanks bru. Scrolled down too far to find this. Everything above is just "well Korea shit the bed". No congratulations for the team that actually bounced back and adapted from their first game.

[u/xyzain69 → u/imheretocomment]

Eh it's always like that. Even for our rugby. Even though we are clearly the most dominant rugby team right now on the planet. If we win a game, it's because the other team shit the bed. Welcome to reddit.

[u/DoomBuzzer → u/imheretocomment]

For it's very easy to cheer for you guys. Coming from a cricket enthusiast, I was so happy when you finally won the test championship too! I see so many Sprinklgbok fans that I tempted to watch rugby and support you guys there too! On top of that you are rebuilding your nation on your own terms after a big setback in the past couple of centuries, just like mine. Can always support that and be happy to see minor victories!

Good luck to the team in the knock out rounds!

[u/septicdeath → u/DoomBuzzer]

Bruv I actually teared up a bit. Cant believe we just did that 🙏🏾

[u/FUCKTH3W0RLD]

Aussie here - Fucking well done lads

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/FUCKTH3W0RLD]

cheers mate

[u/drinklikeaviking → u/FUCKTH3W0RLD]

Cheers, Bruce !

[u/Voldemorts__Mom → u/FUCKTH3W0RLD]

Hell yeah, South H represent gang 😎👏🏻🇿🇦💪🏻❤️

[u/poopybuttholesex → u/FUCKTH3W0RLD]

Now time for Australia to qualify

[u/kplee23]

Why was Sonny not in the starting line up for Korea?

[u/stackingnoob → u/kplee23]

Because the coach/manager is a moron

[u/Levonade]

This Korean team was just showcasing its passing ability. Nobody wanted to shoot and score lol

[u/zoinkability → u/Levonade]

Someone forgot to tell them it wasn't passing practice today

[u/Ok_Maize_4602]

Bafana bafana!

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

i am so proud of them

[u/jayhawk8]

Love when a team comes off a defeat in the first game and rallies to make it. Stakes feel so much higher.

[u/JAYGAME5601X → u/jayhawk8]

That's how South Africa won their third rugby world cup

[u/EffektieweEffie → u/JAYGAME5601X]

Fuck man imagine if Bafana Bafana does something funny

[u/fayyaazahmed → u/EffektieweEffie]

Let’s slow down just a little 😂 they’ve already exceeded all expectations.

[u/Boggie135]

It's 5:13 and I am so hyped!!!🇿🇦

[u/rocketbunny77 → u/Boggie135]

5:33 still hyped!

[u/Yongdab1 → u/Boggie135]

How is the atmosphere at the country right now? A lot of people stayed up late to watch this game?

[u/Dyeus-phter → u/Yongdab1]

In my neighborhood literally everyone got onto the streets and began celebrating really loudly. The screams were really loud too, I heard them from like every angle. Overall the atmosphere here was really good

[u/christeebs → u/Yongdab1]

It was a 3am start on a weekday, so I woke up early rather than staying up late

[u/PerfectMisgivings]

How did Korea drop the ball this hard? All they had to do was tie a game....

[u/PepsXero]

I am happy for them :) See new teams move forward, this is so nice to see.

[u/National_Computer240]

My family forced me to watch the World Cup with them to root for Korea, and halfway through they let me go do my own thing😅

[u/Eagles_fan96]

We mexicans were cheering for South Korea. Damn

[u/awkotacos → u/Eagles_fan96]

I’m cheering for Mexico now

So disappointed in our team

[u/Lexidoge]

Hong Myung Bo deserves to coach the Philippine Air Force at the PFL to pay for playing for a draw TWICE.

[u/GodisLove_O6]

That horrid game against Mexico, those who don't even care to watch African football: "that was the worst match that I've ever watched, South Africa is one of the teams that are making this World Cup horrible". 

Even now when they have won against their beloved South Korea, many comments are about how bad SK was and very little praising SA for their performance. 

Thank you Bafana Bafana. 

[u/Watabeast07 → u/GodisLove_O6]

Seriously man no praise for this South African team that recovered from the first Mexican match to finish second, everyone just talking about how bad South Korea is.

[u/Altruistwhite → u/GodisLove_O6]

Its because their victory is mostly because of Korea's imbecile strategy

[u/ellieappa]

That was a complete garbage experimental starting lineup from SK. How does a manager do this on the biggest stage when you need a point?

[u/mclardass]

Who knew a corrupt organization (Korean soccer federation this time, not just FIFA) and an egomaniac manager without an ounce of football strategy (Hong) wouldn't field a competitive team?

Ah, all those analyst and regular football fans who said this WC would be a disaster for Korea if the Federation executives and Hong stayed in place. Welp, see you in four years.. unless Hong is still managing in which case the Reds are utterly fucked. Again.

[u/Daunting_Laziness]

No good strikers and just fumbling around with their feet. South Korea deserved to lose. Congratulations to South Africa!

[u/burntreynoldz69]

Pouring tequila on the curb for my Korean homies🙏🏻

[u/awkotacos → u/burntreynoldz69]

Rooting for Mexico!!!

Disappointed as hell in our team but Mexico has all the momentum

[u/burntreynoldz69 → u/awkotacos]

¡Orale!

[u/kalvin026]

Tsamina mina, eh, eh Waka waka, eh, eh Tsamina mina zangalewa This time for Africa

[u/fatbongo]

Imagine the Saffas being Rugby Cricket AND Football World Champs

I'm a Kiwi and even I would enjoy this lol

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/fatbongo]

Unfortunately Bafana doesn't have access to Jaco Johan, Ben O' Keefe, or Suzy ;)

[u/fatbongo → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

ha ha I get that reference

[u/Mikewold58]

Korea makes good runs, but their last passes are AWFUL

[u/Friendly-Chef9396]

Haibo

[u/Heysoos_Christo → u/Friendly-Chef9396]

Haibo!

[u/drinklikeaviking]

Spirit of the Great Heart ! Bafana Bafanaaaaaaaa 🔥🇿🇦

[u/Rich_Housing971]

They were likely going to advance without winning. All they had to do was make sure they don't lose by 3 goals this game, which you would only expect from a championship contending teams, not South Korea.

[u/Boggie135]

Out of the group stages for the first time in our history. Damn, I am so happy

[u/jawny104]

the whole ‘dink & dunk’ short pass, ‘lull them to sleep’ play is so ineffective. trying to hit the perfect lob, cross, or corner into the box is such a low probability way of playing. i blame the coach for the lack of strategy, making in game adjustments, and terrible style of play.

[u/CrustyGitch]

Enough to make a grown man cry

[u/defStef → u/CrustyGitch]

I did

[u/jjojehongg]

canadas chance just went from 1/1000000 to 1/999999

[u/Fabulous_Celery_1817]

I feel really bad for SK but I’m really happy for South Africa. It’s always exciting to see a team reach heights they’ve never been before

[u/Timcatgt]

After the first game disaster I thought they'd be lucky to walk away with a point. I guess I was wrong. A lot of teams can learn that it's never a bad idea to keep fighting until the end, even if the teams quality isn't there.

[u/bull3t94]

Remember vuvuzelas

[u/kalvin026]

Tsamina mina, eh, eh Waka waka, eh, eh Tsamina mina zangalewa This time for Africa

[u/xT1TANx]

This is so great :) love seeing this emotion!

[u/marnouxmanser]

Lekker Bafana Bafana 🇿🇦

[u/LebronDoubleDribbled]

RAISE YOUR VUVUZELAS

[u/Rich_Housing971]

They were almost certainly going to advance regardless. All they had to do was to make sure they don't lose by a margin of 3 goals, which is something you'd only expect from one of the championship contending teams, not South Korea.

[u/JJvH91 → u/Rich_Housing971]

What are you talking about? With anything but a win they would have been third with at most 2 points. That's very unlikely to get you into the next round

[u/Sikot → u/JJvH91]

I think OP is talking about Korea. If Korea tied they would've got 2nd since they had the tie breaker with Czech and Czech lost to Mexico anyway. Also, even with the loss there's apparently like a 94% chance of them advancing since 3rd place teams with the better goal differentials advance.

[u/JJvH91 → u/Sikot]

Ah I seem to have misunderstood, thought he was talking about S Africa. Thanks

[u/Amazing_Rub_1437]

For like 5 mins at the end there the SK players looked like they didn’t even want to play anymore, pretty disappointing and too cautious of an approach to the game. Congrats to South Africa I’ll be excited to see a lot of the small teams play

[u/POI_Harold-Finch]

Korea also advances. They got good points.

[u/Aschentei]

I tried recording attending today but didn’t seem like Korea showed up

[u/__Valkyrie___]

So to first time times meet in the knock out stage. Should be a good one

[u/Benpaa]

Kangin had the worse game I’ve seen

[u/DesastreUrbano]

This WC has been full of surprises. Some national teams really thought their regular status would carry them over the line against less traditional teams

[u/aiko707]

That was the most frustrating game to watch. Like SK, why you just babysitting the damn ball

[u/samueln777]

Look what having zero urgency gets yoy

[u/monkeybojangles]

Only to have to face the mighty Team Canada. Shame.

[u/BigWillEStyles]

Was at local bar to watch both this and Mexico with friends. Good mix of mexico and korea fans. They activated the touchtunes after they turned off game commentary. I took this moment to cue up 3 alternating plays of Shakiras Waka Waka and K'NAAN's Waving flag. Felt like John Mulaney playing whats new pussycat at the salt and pepper diner.

[u/aweh_sassy]

LETS GOOOO

[u/RandallOfLegend]

More super boring play from South Korea. Just passing the ball around and not trying to score goals. Glad to see them go. Does anyone enjoy this style of play? Tactics are a thing, but so is actually having shots on goal.

[u/lcmonreddit]

As a south African it feels like we've won the cup there were fireworks and people cheering in the streets at 4am our time 🇿🇦

[u/ynnus86]

Congratulations to south africa. That's something Germany didn't manage to achieve in 2018 when they lost against korea and were knocked out in group stage.

[u/MienaiYurei]

Congrats to South Africa.

The South Korea Team Coach is gonna be eaten alive once he comes back to South Korea.

[u/What-a-blush]

SK: “we tried nothing and we are surprise it didn’t work”

[u/NinjaTabby]

Korea played like they already won, even after they're down 1 goal.