Despite scoring Czechia's first-ever goal at a 2026 FIFA World Cup, captain Ladislav Krejčí cut a deeply frustrated figure following his side's 2-1 defeat to South Korea.

The Czechs surrendered an early lead in their Group A opener, undone by a slick South Korean side that consistently exploited defensive lapses. Speaking to Nova Action after the final whistle, the captain did not hold back in his assessment of Czechia's defensive shortcomings.

"I am absolutely furious," Krejčí admitted. "We completely fell apart in two specific defensive phases. Yes, we are still adapting to a new tactical system, and yes, we are newcomers to the World Cup stage. A certain level of pre-match nerves is acceptable, and mistakes in the opposition half will happen, but we know that we have to be a monolith. Opponents should have no way through us. We have to defend as a cohesive unit, but instead, we conceded two completely identical goals."

While Krejčí acknowledged the squad's ambition to play a proactive and brave brand of football, he urged his teammates to adopt a more realistic, gritty approach given their current standing on the international stage.

"We all want to play with courage, and we would love nothing more than to dominate every opponent through pure footballing quality, but we have to look at our reality," the captain added. "This is our first World Cup. It is normal to feel anxious when things don't go perfectly on the pitch—that is fine. But work rate, defensive discipline, and being impossible to break down at the back are non-negotiable fundamentals that must become second nature to us. That has to become our primary weapon."

Czechia face a quick turnaround to fix those defensive vulnerabilities before a must-win clash against South Africa on 18 June, where another slip-up would leave their knockout-stage hopes hanging by a thread.