South Korea beats Czech Republic but why all the empty seats at World Cup’s second game?
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- South Korea came from behind to defeat Czech Republic 2-1 at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, despite large sections of empty seats attributed to high ticket prices, travel costs, and visa issues affecting attendance.
- Ticket prices ranged from $400 to over $5,000 for hospitality, contributing to thousands of unoccupied seats, especially in premium areas, despite FIFA's claim of high ticket demand and an official attendance near stadium capacity.
- Son Heung-min had several missed opportunities and a generally disappointing performance, while teammates Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-Gyu scored crucial goals to secure South Korea's comeback victory.
- With Mexico also winning their opening match, Group A favorites South Korea and Mexico started strong, likely needing only one more win each to reach the knockout stages, while Czech Republic faces a tougher path to advance.