South Korea needed extra time. They got it from the foot of Lee Kang-in in the 104th minute — a left-footed strike from the edge of the box that beat Ibrahim Šehić to his right post and sent SoFi Stadium into ninety seconds of release after two hours of held breath. South Korea 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1. The Round of 32 has its first winner, and the Round of 16 has its first qualifier.
The match in 90 seconds
Bosnia did exactly what the scouting report said they would do. Two banks of four, Edin Džeko alone up top, Krunić dropping deep to receive, the back four refusing to engage. For 60 minutes it worked. South Korea had 68% possession, eight corners, and one shot on target — a low drive from Hwang Hee-chan that Šehić palmed wide on 34. The crowd, an estimated 70-30 Korean, grew quieter as the second half opened.
Then Son Heung-min, in his last World Cup, did the Son thing. A long Lee Kang-in switch found him isolated against the Bosnian right back on 64; he turned inside, took one touch to set, and curled a near-post finish past Šehić. One-nil Korea, his second of the tournament and his ninth career World Cup goal-or-assist combined.
Bosnia equalised in the 88th. Džeko, who had touched the ball eight times in 80 minutes, met a deep Krunić free-kick with a header that beat Jo Hyeon-woo at the near post. The 40-year-old Roma striker turned to the Bosnian section behind the goal and pointed twice at the badge. Extra time.
Lee Kang-in's winner
The decisive moment came on 104. Bosnia, deep into their own half after a long Korean possession, cleared a cross only as far as Lee Kang-in twenty-two yards out. The PSG midfielder took one touch to control, one to set, and bent a left-footed finish past Šehić's right hand. The keeper got a glove to it but the ball had already crossed the line.
The replay showed the strike was not Šehić's fault — the finish was clean and the angle perfect — but the Bosnian bench did not need replays to know what the goal meant. Džeko, who had played a full 100+ minutes in 32-degree heat at 40 years old, dropped to one knee with twenty minutes left to play. He stayed on for fifteen of them before being replaced.
What it tells us about both sides
South Korea got through, but the performance left questions. Hong Myung-bo will study the first hour and not like what he finds — the inability to break a low block has been the recurring story of this Korean cycle, and Bosnia's mid-block is several rungs below what Brazil or Argentina could put out in front of them later in the bracket. The midfield tempo was slow. The wide combinations between Lee and Hwang never quite connected. The team that won deserves credit; the team they were is not yet at quarter-final level.
Bosnia leave with their heads up. The squad has averaged something like a thirty-second-place world ranking for the last decade; reaching a World Cup knockout fixture at all is the highest point of Bosnian football since their 2014 debut. Edin Džeko, asked after the match whether this was his last international, paused and said only "We will see in September." That sounded like a yes.
Who South Korea meet next
The bracket pairs South Korea with the winner of Tuesday's Mexico vs Cape Verde tie. The Round of 16 fixture is locked to Sunday July 5 in Atlanta. Either opponent would make Korea the underdog on paper — Mexico significantly so, given home support and the form the host nation has shown in the group stage. But Korea now arrive in the Round of 16 having gone the distance once, which is its own kind of preparation.
Monday's three Round of 32 fixtures
The schedule picks up sharply today. Three matches on Monday June 29 — Brazil vs Japan at 1 p.m. ET in Houston, Germany vs Scotland at 4:30 p.m. ET at Foxborough, and Netherlands vs Morocco at 9 p.m. ET in Guadalajara. Sixteen more knockout ties remain between now and the Round of 16 kickoff on Saturday July 4.
- Sun Jun 28 · South Korea 2-1 Bosnia (AET) · SoFi · COMPLETE
- Mon Jun 29 · Brazil vs Japan · NRG Stadium · 1:00 p.m. ET
- Mon Jun 29 · Germany vs Scotland · Gillette · 4:30 p.m. ET
- Mon Jun 29 · Netherlands vs Morocco · Akron, Guadalajara · 9:00 p.m. ET
FAQ
What was the final score? South Korea 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1, after extra time. Son Heung-min (64'), Edin Džeko (88'), Lee Kang-in (104').
Who did South Korea qualify to play next? The winner of Mexico vs Cape Verde, in the Round of 16 on Sunday July 5 in Atlanta.
Was extra time the full 30 minutes? Yes — the full two 15-minute halves were played. Lee Kang-in's winner came in the first extra-time period; the second 15 minutes ran out with no further goals.
How does the Round of 32 schedule work from here? Three matches a day from Monday June 29 through Friday July 3. Sixteen ties total. Full schedule and live scores on Scorelisto's soccer page, with daily previews and recaps continuing on the blog.