Honestly, I thought we could handle South Africa.

Even a draw would have secured a direct path to the Round of 32, but instead of pushing aggressively, we played cautiously and ended up losing 0-1.

When you go into a soccer match thinking, "a draw is enough," this kind of situation is bound to happen.

In the end, we squandered our chance to advance on our own and now we find ourselves anxiously watching other countries' match results, hoping for favorable outcomes.

As a soccer fan, this is incredibly frustrating and disappointing.

Coach Hong Myung-bo explained that he brought Son Heung-min in during the second half with the plan to capitalize on the opponent's fatigue. However, it ultimately had no effect.

Sports statistics company Opta had estimated Korea's chances of advancing to the Round of 32 at around 90% before the match against South Africa.

Adding just one point would have nearly guaranteed it. But after the loss, the situation completely flipped.

Moreover, unexpected results have continued to emerge from other groups.

Yesterday, Ecuador unexpectedly defeated Germany, and several third-place teams have recorded 4 points, putting Korea's dream of reaching the Round of 32 in jeopardy.

Currently, Korea has 3 points and a goal difference of -1.

We now have to wait for the results of Group G and Group L. At least three teams with lower standings than us need to emerge for us to advance to the Round of 32.

What's really frustrating is that we are calculating the scenarios.

The World Cup is supposed to be a stage where you advance on your own merit, but now we have to rely on other countries to cheer for us.

Living in LA, it's even more heartbreaking to see Son Heung-min play in person.

He has repeatedly stated that his move to MLS was a choice to prepare for the World Cup in peak condition, yet in the most crucial match, he started on the bench and was only brought in after the team was down 0-1.

Of course, we can't place the blame for the loss solely on Son Heung-min. However, Coach Hong Myung-bo's strategy of not playing aggressively from the start, despite having a world-class striker, is bound to leave fans feeling disappointed.

Still, it's not over yet.

There is still a chance to dramatically reach the Round of 32 depending on the remaining group stage results. If we do advance, it's likely we will face Egypt or Belgium in Seattle.

But honestly, what the fans wanted was not to calculate scenarios. They wanted to see a decisive victory over South Africa and confidently advance to the Round of 32.

What can we do now?

We have no choice but to watch the remaining matches and hope that other countries produce favorable results for us.

This time, I truly hope the soccer gods favor South Korea.