Guadalajara: Now working as a commentator on television, former FIFA World Cup hero Lee Young-pyo predicted Monday that South Korea will finish second in their group at this year's tournament. South Korea will be up against Czechia, South Africa, and Mexico, one of three co-host countries, in Group A. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will advance to the knockout stage, joined by the eight best third-place teams.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee expressed confidence in South Korea's chances, citing Mexico's recent performance and home advantage as factors likely to secure them the top spot in Group A. "Mexico will likely win Group A, considering their recent performance and home advantage," Lee said during his visit to South Korea's training facility near Guadalajara. "And it's highly likely that South Korea will finish second. And that would be a very good start."

Lee, one of the heroes of South Korea's run to the semifinals at the 2002 tournament, emphasized the importance of South Korea winning their first match against Czechia on Thursday. "Grabbing three points in the first match will be crucial for the team's fate," Lee said. "If the players perform the way they are capable of, then they should be able to win. If they don't win the first match, then the pressure will start mounting in the second match. Czechia will be in a similar situation."

Lee highlighted South Korea's advantage in terms of experience, noting that Czechia is playing in their first World Cup in 20 years. "Overcoming pressure is part of the equation. Since Czechia are playing in their first World Cup in 20 years, their players are all new to this, and our players are far more experienced," he stated. "Mentally, South Korea should have an advantage."

South Korea's preparation included three weeks of altitude training in the U.S. state of Utah before traveling to Mexico. Lee pointed out that Czechia's base camp in Texas might not have provided the same level of preparation for playing in high altitudes, with Guadalajara, the site of Thursday's match, sitting some 1,500 meters above sea level.

Lee also noted Czechia's potential threat in set pieces and aerial duels due to their players' height advantage. "They can be dangerous in those situations, and South Korea must minimize those set pieces in the first place," Lee said. "The central defenders must be on their toes when the opponents send crosses."

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo experimented with different lineups in the team's final two friendlies before the tournament. Lee expressed some concern about potential chemistry issues but ultimately trusted the coaching staff's judgment. "The staff must have had enough conviction in the team to have those experiments in the friendly matches," Lee remarked. "I am sure they believed that they could still play well in the tournament even with all that juggling."