SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) -Thousands converged on viewing spots across the capital on Friday morning as Seoul held its breath for South Korea's pivotal World Cup showdown with Mexico on the hosts' home turf, with an early berth in the Round of 32 at stake.
From Gwanghwamun Square to Gangnam Station, office workers took half-days off, foreign tourists joined supporters waving national flags and giant outdoor screens replaced computer monitors as the city briefly shifted onto World Cup time ahead of the 10 a.m. kickoff at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.
At Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul's iconic venue for national celebrations, organizers prepared about 11,000 seats as supporters steadily streamed into the plaza. Foreign visitors, including Mexican fans, mingled with South Korean supporters draped in national flags and red jerseys.
The financial district at Yeoui-do buzzing with the KOSPI hitting new record highs throughout the week still made time for the crucial game.
Near Korea Investment & Securities headquarters in central Seoul, pre-registered participants began filling KIS Square about 40 minutes before kickoff.
The brokerage installed giant displays and divided the venue into separate cheering zones. Even office workers stepping outside for cigarette breaks repeatedly glanced at the screens and exchanged predictions about the game and South Korea's qualification prospects.
Short-form creators Nitmol Cash, who has built a following of 5.5 million with Chinese-style TikTok parodies, and ILOPAL, known for his "158-centimeter" persona and 6.38 million subscribers, entertained spectators and posed for photographs ahead of the match.
About 70 reserved seats and additional standing areas quickly filled as organizers prepared to distribute special-edition Cass beer while fans watched the game on a giant screen. Photo zones were also installed throughout the venue.
A late penalty from Teboho Mokoena earned South Africa a 1-1 draw against Czechia in Atlanta, leaving both teams on one point after two matches and sharpening the equation for Hong Myung-bo's side: beat Mexico and advance.
The result effectively transformed Friday's contest into a battle for first place in Group A.
South Korea and Mexico both entered the match on three points after opening victories. Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener, while South Korea rallied from behind to defeat Czechia 2-1.
The winner would move to six points and secure a place in the Round of 32 with one group-stage match to spare.
The numbers, however, still favored Mexico.
Four points would mean Hong's side would only need to avoid defeat against South Africa in the final group match to secure a top-two finish.
A loss, however, would turn next week's encounter against South Africa into a virtual knockout game.
Captain Son Heung-min again spearheaded the attack, flanked by Lee Jae-sung and Lee Kang-in, while Hwang In-beom partnered Paik Seung-ho in midfield.
Hong retained the 3-4-3 system, with Lee Ki-hyuk, Kim Min-jae and Lee Han-beom forming the back three. Kim Moon-hwan replaced Lee Tae-seok at wingback, while Kim Seung-gyu started in goal. Oh Hyeon-gyu, whose second-half strike completed the comeback victory over Czechia, started on the bench.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre deployed a 4-3-3 formation led by Julián Quiñones, Raúl Jiménez and Roberto Alvarado.
Mexico were without suspended center back César Montes after his red card in the opener, forcing defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez to drop into the back line.
For several hours on a weekday morning, however, qualification mathematics seemed secondary.
For a few hours, the capital was operating on World Cup time.
* AJP reporters Kim Yeon-jae, Joonha Yoo, Ryu Yuna, and Yoo Na-hyun contributed to this story.
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