Fifa World Cup: Korean coach hails team unity after victory, Czech boss says better side won
Hong Myung-bo says his team followed his instructions to the letter while Miroslav Koubek praises his players for their effort
Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek, meanwhile, praised his players for their effort but said the better team won and his side needed to add more bite to the attack to stay in the tournament.
After falling behind to a second-half header from Ladislav Krejci, the Koreans rallied through goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu to secure three crucial points in Guadalajara.
“Before the match I gave two messages: not to give up until the end and unite as one,” he told a press conference. “Whether on the pitch or not, we need to play as one team.”
The victory came despite an uncharacteristic off-day for captain Son Heung-min, who missed five chances in the first half alone before being replaced by eventual match-winner Oh.
Despite the misfiring performance, the coach was quick to defend his veteran forward.