[Photograph by Yoo Dae-gil = dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]
SEOUL -- The 1-0 defeat to Sweden in the first game at the 2018 World Cup at Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Stadium left South Korea dangerously close to the knockout stage where they will face Germany and Mexico.
South Korean fans are actively supporting their home team on social media. Fans kept a close watch on the game with gleaming hope and supported their team. Though some fans were devasted, many kept their hopes up by twitting "fighting", a commonly used word of encouragement and cheer, and wished for a better performance in next matches.
Prior to the match, thousands of South Koreans gathered at Gwanghwamum Square in central Seoul. A 500-inch screen was put up and performances by local artists hyped the crowd. When the match began, fans wielding thunder sticks wildly cheered the South Korean team.
Fans clad in red, a signature of the Red Devils, an official fan club of the South Korean national team, were littered along the streets. Despite a series of political events including a historic summit between U.S. and North Korean leaders, it seemed the match has drawn a considerable amount of attention.
Fans clad in red, a signature of the Red Devils club, an official fan club of the South Korean national football team. The Red Devils were known for refining the concept of nationalism upgrading Korea’s national image.
Both Sweden and South Korea had strong defenses which made a goal from an open play seemed hard. However, Sweden looked to be in control of the game for the most part with 15 attempted shots compared to four attempted shots by South Korea.
Sweden scored their goal in the 65th minute when a penalty was awarded. South Korean defender Kim Min-woo unwieldy tackled the Swedish left back in desperate attempts to prevent him from scoring. His attempt succeeded but brought the Swedish player down in the penalty box.
The referee stopped the game to review the incident and referred the decision to the video assistant referee, who confirmed that Sweden should be awarded the penalty, bringing the score to 1-0 to Sweden.
Despite the goal, South Korea pushed harder for an equalizer but failed to score. At the 82nd minute, South Korea was awarded a free kick which was blocked. At the extra time of the game, South Korea missed another good opportunity to equalize when Hwang Hee-chan headed the ball wide.
This story was contributed by Jazin Wee, an editorial assistant.
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