Episode 57: 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Review

so yeah let's just go through every team's performance we'll go group by group and talk about the teams the first one and i would say the most disappointing one for me south korea you know they they started out fantastically against against czechia they won they won their first game 2-1 then you know okay you you lose to mexico you know still they're they've been one of the best teams in the tournament they've performed well they're playing at home that's fine but then you know it's unacceptable to lose to South Africa, you know, with all due respect to them.

You should be getting the draw and advancing and I don't know, man.

They did manage to score a single goal after that game.

Kenta, what do you think of their performance?

Yeah, I mean, I don't have any words.

And I don't know what word to use to describe the South Korean team.

Obviously, everything that's happened after their exit from the World Cup is notable.

Hong Yun-bo, the manager, is obviously no longer the manager of this national team.

And I think there's a lot going on with the KFA and the federation there in terms of We'll have to see what happens over the next few months leading into the Asian Cup, if any change happens in the KFA, because Korean fans are very upset, and I think it's rightfully so for them.

Because, look, to me, I think the most upsetting part was against South Africa, they didn't really generate a ton of chances in the way that we kind of expected them to, I think.

You know, you go with the opening match, obviously.

I don't really want to put too much emphasis on the matches played against Mexico of any team in this group, but obviously South Africa really struggled against Mexico in the World Cup opener.

And I think because so many people were watching that match because...

It happened to be the first match of this tournament.

The expectation of the third match, you saw South Korea on the opening match today do well, you saw South Africa do poorly, and you put two and two together and say, well, okay, so this should be a walk in the park.

Bafana, Bafana, I thought they were a really competitive and a really good team.

They even, you know, in the knockout in the round of 32, put up a fight against Canada and took a really, you know, late winner in stoppage time from Canada to be able to move on.

So it was...

It's going to be a tough matchup, but to me, it was just really disappointing to see a really uninspiring attack, obviously not led by Son Heung-min in that match after the decision was made to not start him after kind of two really underwhelming performances, and I don't think he particularly did that well off the bench in that third match either, so...

I'm not one to want to entirely put all the blame on the coach because I don't think the players particularly did well either but at the same time like you have too much talent on this roster to not be gaining results in the way that they should have been so I'm curious to see what the Seth Green roster will look like and the federation will look like at the Asian Cup because I feel like there's opportunity for a lot of turnover to happen but yeah it just honestly I'm And disappointing doesn't do it in terms of, like, I think certain teams disappointed at this World Cup.

Korea have gone beyond just disappointing at this point.

I think there's a lot that needs to kind of change for this team moving forward.

I don't know.

Aria, what do you think?

For me, I think this is no longer just a coach situation.