South Korea cruised through its qualifying campaign, losing only one game and finishing behind Iran in the group. Son Heung-min was tied for the Asian qualifying lead with four goals and no team conceded fewer than South Korea’s three goals from 10 matches. But the competition in Qatar will be drastically different than qualifying, and the South Koreans will be well aware of that with Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez lining up across from them in the group stage.
The Taegeuk Warriors are led by manager Paulo Bento, who has a 63.5% winning percentage since taking over South Korea after the 2018 World Cup. His conservative style has rubbed some critics the wrong way, but after a full World Cup cycle, Bento will know what he needs from such a tight-knit group. (Fun fact: He also coached Portugal at the 2014 World Cup, which also included a match against current Group H opponent Ghana).
South Korea didn’t look particularly inspiring in its last international window, drawing with Costa Rica and squeaking by an unimpressive Cameroon side with a 1–0 victory. It was also crushed by Brazil, 5–1, in a friendly over the summer, but recent wins over Iran, Egypt and Chile should give it some hope. Still, hope won’t be enough to get through this group—especially with Son smarting from a recent fractured eye socket suffered in the Champions League. He’ll be in Qatar, but his effectiveness is now a question mark for a side without a large margin for error.
