The teams of Mexico and South Korea They starred in a balanced and high-intensity first half this Thursday, June 18 at the Guadalajara stadium, in a match corresponding to the second day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A.
Both teams came into the match with three points, after having won in their World Cup debut, so the commitment had key value in the fight for qualification to the next round.
From the first minutes a dynamic duel was observed, with constant exchanges of the ball and quick transitions between attack and defense.
Mexico tried to impose conditions through the actions of Raúl Jiménez, Alexis Gutiérrez, Érick Álvarez and Roberto Alvarado, while South Korea responded with speed and pressure on the Mexican exit.
The first controversial action came early when Alexis Gutiérrez fell to the grass after a strong tackle. The referee showed a yellow card to South Korean defender Kang Jin for the infraction against the Mexican player.
Although the match took place mostly in the middle of the field during the early stages, both teams generated clear scoring chances. In the 7th minute, South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu prevented his goal from falling by stopping a dangerous shot from Gutiérrez.
The Asian response came shortly after. At minute 9, Korea was close to opening the scoring, but Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel intervened timely to maintain the tie.
As the minutes passed, Mexico managed to control possession for more time thanks to the work of Álvarez and Alvarado in the midfield. However, the South Koreans continued to create danger and were close to scoring in the 15th minute, when a Mexican defensive intervention saved an action on the line that seemed to end in a goal.
One of the clearest opportunities for the team led by Javier Aguirre came in the 19th minute. Julián Quiñones found space inside the area, but Kim Seung-gyu responded with a save that prevented the first goal of the match.
The duel was also marked by several claims. Erik Lira repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with some actions of the South Korean players and ended up receiving a yellow card during added time of the first half.
In the final minutes of the first half, South Korea showed greater precision in their offensive approaches and forced the Mexican defense to remain alert. The referee granted four minutes of replacement, a period in which both teams sought to break the tie without success.
Even the Mexican coach Javier Aguirre was warned by the referee in the 44th minute due to his shouting off the field, although the strategist took the situation calmly.
