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Korea blows chances for first victory over Mexico in 19 years with 2-2 draw

Published: 10 Sep. 2025, 16:13 Updated: 10 Sep. 2025, 18:40

Son Heung-min plays against Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 9. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Korea blew a one-goal lead in stoppage time during a friendly against Mexico on Tuesday for a 2-2 draw, ending the September friendly series with one win and one draw.

In a friendly match held Tuesday at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, Korea conceded a goal to Mexico's Raúl Jiménez in the 22nd minute. Son Heung-min equalized in the 65th minute, and Oh Hyeon-gyu struck one more in the 75th. However, Santiago Giménez leveled the match in the 93rd minute during stoppage time.

Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA standings, defeated the United States 2-0 on Saturday and faced a stiffer challenge in No. 13-ranked Mexico, a 2026 World Cup co-host and the strongest side in North and Central America. The draw marked the most competitive showing yet under the second term of coach Hong Myung-bo, after taking the reins in September 2024.

Korea came close to securing its first victory over Mexico in 19 years — the last being in 2006 — but had to settle for snapping a three-match losing streak. The all-time record now stands at four wins, three draws and eight losses. Hong’s squad wrapped up the U.S. tour with a win and a draw, while Mexico extended its unbeaten streak to nine international matches.

Son’s equalizer came in the 65th minute after Kim Moon-hwan delivered a cross from the right, which Oh redirected with a back-header. Son, positioned near the left of the penalty area, struck the ball with a powerful left-footed shot into the net.

Having recorded a goal and an assist in the win over the United States, Son now has goals in back-to-back matches. Coming off the bench at the start of the second half, Son earned his 136th cap, tying Cha Bum-kun and Hong for the all-time cap record.

Son Heung-min plays against Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 9. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Around 10 minutes later, Lee Kang-in threaded a through ball from midfield to Oh, who pushed out wide inside the right edge of the box before drilling a low right-footed shot across the face of goal and into the far corner.

Oh celebrated by spreading his arms and shrugging — a gesture that seemed to address his recent transfer drama. His move to Germany’s Stuttgart fell through due to a knee injury flagged in his medical.

In the first half, Korea struggled under Mexico’s high press, and Oh missed two clear chances. In the 14th minute, after a sharp ball control move, his left-footed shot was denied by the goalkeeper. Six minutes later, Lee Kang-in delivered a clever outside-foot pass, but Oh’s left-footed shot went wide.

Mexico capitalized on the missed opportunities in the 22nd minute. Rodrigo Huescas sent in an early cross between Kim Min-jae and Lee Han-beom and Jimenez converted with a header.

Oh Hyeon-gyu plays against Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 9. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

With Lee Jae-sung out due to a hamstring injury sustained in the U.S. match, Bae Jun-ho and Lee Kang-in started as attacking midfielders. The match also featured a reunion between Lee and his former coach at Mallorca, Mexico’s current manager Javier Aguirre.

In contrast to the match against the United States, Korea’s buildup play, creativity and off-the-ball movement faltered in the first half. The wingbacks provided limited attacking support.

Coach Hong stuck with a 3-4-2-1 formation, as used against the United States, but made nine changes to the starting lineup, retaining only Kim Min-jae and Lee Han-beom. The formation looked more like a 5-4-1 in the first half. Jens Castrop, a German-Korean dual national who made his debut off the bench against the United States, made his first start but struggled in midfield, while holding midfielder Park Yong-woo was largely ineffective.

At halftime, Hong substituted in Son and Kim Jin-gyu, replacing Bae and Castrop. Son, who had started as the central striker against the United States, played as a left winger and wore the captain's armband, passed to him from Kim Min-jae.

Oh Hyeon-gyu plays against Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 9. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Korea lacked midfield presence throughout the match, making it difficult to create clear chances. Mexico refreshed its attacking line by replacing all three forwards in the 61st minute, including bringing on Giménez.

From the 65th minute, Son, Oh and Lee injected new energy into the side. Their direct, incisive play led to Korea’s two goals. In the 89th minute, goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a flying save to deny a Mexican shot. But Korea couldn't hang on and Giménez equalized in stoppage time with a shot that Kim had little chance of stopping.

The match had the intensity of a World Cup knockout game, and the 30,000-seat stadium was packed with fans from both countries, creating a vibrant atmosphere as the international tournament quickly approaches.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]