South Korea were held to a goalless draw by underdogs Palestine to begin the new phase of their World Cup qualifying campaign in Seoul on Thursday, a lethargic effort that failed to assuage a disgruntled fan base. Son Heung-min of South Korea walks off the pitch at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Sept. 5, 2024, after the first half of the Group B match against Palestine in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification. (Yonhap) Son Heung-min of South Korea walks off the pitch at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Sept. 5, 2024, after the first half of the Group B match against Palestine in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification. (Yonhap) Captain Son Heung-min struck the crossbar in the 87th minute, one of several opportunities that 23rd-ranked South Korea couldn't convert against No. 96 Palestine in front of 59,579 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium. This was the first Group B match for both teams in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Kore a will next play 76th-ranked Oman in Muscat on Tuesday. The other countries in Group B are Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait. The third round will conclude in June next year. The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify for the World Cup, while teams ranked third and fourth in their groups will move on to the fourth round for another shot at qualifying for the big tournament. South Korea have played at every World Cup since 1986. Thursday's match was the first for South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo in his second tour of duty. Hong previously coached the Taegeuk Warriors from 2013 to 2014, a term that ended after South Korea failed to get past the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Hong was not a popular choice for the job, with the Korea Football Association taking considerable heat for its opaque hiring process. Boos rained down on Hong during the prematch introduction and also throughout the match whenever he was shown on the scoreboards at the stadium. A smattering of boos could als o be heard after the final whistle blew. This was South Korea's first home match since October last year that did not sell out. Son earned his 128th cap in this match and is now alone in fourth place on the country's all-time list. He broke a tie with former left back Lee Young-pyo and is now five caps behind former goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae. Lee Kang-in of South Korea (R) falls to the pitch during the Group B match against Palestine in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Sept. 5, 2024. (Yonhap) Lee Kang-in of South Korea (R) falls to the pitch during the Group B match against Palestine in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Sept. 5, 2024. (Yonhap) South Korea struggled to generate much offense in the early going, with midfielders and defenders alike sloppy with their passes in their own zone. South Korea dodged a huge bullet in the 22nd minute, when a Palestinian goal was wiped out due to an of fside. Off a free kick, Yaser Hamed headed the ball toward Tamer Seyam for a header that trickled past goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, but Hamed was ruled offside by the slimmest of margins. It wasn't until the late minutes of the first half that South Korea started showing some life. In the 40th minute, Joo Min-kyu's header, set up by Son Heung-min's corner, bounced just left of the target. In the next minute, midfielder Lee Kang-in put on a great solo effort for a mad dash into the box, but goalkeeper Rami Hamada was up to the task. In the 43rd minute, Lee fed Hwang In-beom for a left-footed shot from inside the box that struck the side of the goal. South Korean players react to their goalless draw against Palestine in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Sept. 5, 2024. (Yonhap) South Korean players react to their goalless draw against Palestine in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Sept. 5, 2024. (Yonhap) Near the hour mark, Son Heung-min's pass from the middle of the box found a wide-open Lee Kang-in on the right side, but Lee airmailed his left-footed attempt, much to the dismay of the crowd. In the 64th minute, Lee found second-half substitute Oh Se-hun with a sharp cross but Hamada turned aside the forward's header for a crucial save. Hamada came up huge once again in the 73rd minute, when he denied Lee on a curling free kick from just outside the area. Lee-Oh connection couldn't solve Hamada in the 83rd minute, with the goalkeeper stopping Oh's header for the second time. Son had South Korea's best opportunity in the 87th minute but his right-footed shot struck the woodwork after the captain had beaten multiple defenders and caught Hamada out of position. Palestine nearly scored off a counter break during stoppage time, with Wessam Abou Ali walking in alone on Jo and forcing the South Korean goalkeeper to make a tough save. In the dying seconds, Hwang Jae-won crossed for Oh for a diving header, but the attempt went wide left. Source: Yonhap News Agency
