South Korea stunned the football world with their 2-1 victory over Czech Republic in Prague. Going that distance many would not have expected the win. The team keeps receiving commendation for that superb effort, though it was a victory over a 10-man Czech Republic team. The victory was the first ever for Korea over the Czechs.
Yoon Bitgaram was impressive for the team during the friendly match. The midfielder scored a goal and contributed to the second in the game played at Eden Arena. The teams had met four times going into the game. Three draws and a loss for Korea; a result that has changed after the game. In 2001, South Korea fell 5-1 to Czech and it was just sweet revenge on Sunday.
The victory was also great for the fans who watched the team crushed by the current Euro champions, Spain. Spain defeated the team by 6-1 in Austria, leaving the fans in misery. South Korea still have two more friendly games to play as they prepare for the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting in September.
The overjoyed South Korea head coach Uli Stielike praised his players for their efforts, adding that they got the result they wanted to give them the needed boost in morale. He said:
“After the 6-1 defeat against Spain, it was important to see how much our players have recovered their mental strength. They showed that they were 100 percent recovered.”
The coach also said that if the team had lost again to the Czechs, it would have been difficult going into the qualifiers. He said he was confident that the boost would help them when they face strong teams. The 61-year old added that he noticed an improvement in the passing and ball winning. He hopes that the team would just keep up with the improvements.