Mexico faces South Korea in World Cup clash after dominant opener; Hong aware of hostile atmosphere

Mexico will attempt to build on their impressive 2-0 victory over South Africa when they face South Korea on Thursday in Zapopan, representing a significantly stiffer challenge than their tournament opener. Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored in Mexico's first home World Cup match in 40 years, and manager Javier Aguirre emphasized the team's focus on taking the competition step by step. Another victory would strengthen Mexico's chances of topping their group and could set up a return to the iconic Azteca Stadium.

South Korea arrives with their own momentum after defeating Czechia 2-0 in their group stage opener, with goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu. Interestingly, many Mexican fans supported South Korea in that match, partly due to historical context—South Korea's surprise victory over Germany in 2018 aided Mexico's advancement that year. However, South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo recognizes that this favorable atmosphere will evaporate when his team opposes El Tri. He acknowledged this shift diplomatically, saying "I'd like to thank all of the Mexican fans who cheered for us. We fully understand that it's going to be a match with a home team and we know that's going to give benefits to the home team."

The intensity surrounding the match is already evident. Local authorities intercepted a drone attempting to spy on South Korea's training session this week, underscoring the fervor typical of Mexican home matches. Hong has experienced comparable passion before—he managed South Korea to a 2002 semifinal finish, the nation's best World Cup result. Mexico, meanwhile, seeks its first quarterfinal appearance since hosting the tournament in 1986, with their most recent knockout phase appearance coming in 2018. A complication for Mexico is that defender Cesar Montes will miss Thursday's match due to a late red card from the South Africa game, requiring a replacement in the center of defense.