Mexico and South Korea will be aiming to maintain their 100 percent starts when they play each other on Thursday.
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Mexico and South Korea will be looking to maintain their perfect start when they face each other on Thursday. The winner of the match in Guadalajara will have a chance to win Group A and advance to the next round. Co-hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the tournament's opening match. Javier Aguirre will need to make changes to his defence in the next match. Cesar Montes will not be available for the match after receiving a red card.
Three red cards were shown in the second half of that match. Mexico captain Edson Alvarez may have to play in central defence. Israel Reyes will move to right-back. Coach Aguirre could also start Gilberto Mora.
Teenager Mora impressed many when he came off the bench against South Africa. He was just 17 years old. He is the youngest player at this World Cup. Mexico's attack has become even sharper since he arrived.
South Korea also won its first match. In the process, it achieved a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic. Oh Hyun-gyu scored the decisive goal late in the game. Coach Heong Myung-bo will have many options in his selection against Mexico.
Midfielders Bae Jun-ho and Kim Tae-hyun are ready to take the field after recovering from injuries. South Korea's World Cup preparations have been hampered by injuries. Coach Heong will be challenged with how to properly use his captain Son Heung-min.
The former Tottenham forward could have started against the Czechs from the start, but he could now be moved back to a supporting role. Oh will be up front to lead the attack. Both teams are now in a good position to advance to the knockout stages.
However, winning the group will mean a relatively easy opponent in the knockout stages. The group winner will not have to play the winner of the other group immediately. The friendly atmosphere between Mexico and South Korean fans will not be lost in this match.
Mexico fans celebrated South Korea's victory over Germany in the 2018 World Cup. The result also saw Mexico qualify for the knockout stages. Eight years later, that friendship will now come to an end.
