Coach Hong Myung-bo's choice to replace Son Heung-min early was the biggest turning point in this game. The tactical success of bringing in Son Heung-min early and inserting Oh Hyun-gyu to lead the team to a comeback goal in the first game against the Czech Republic had the opposite result in the match against Mexico. Experts and soccer elders unanimously point out that considering Son Heung-min's overwhelming presence and the weight of a single shot, the timing of the replacement 12 minutes earlier was too hasty. Former national team players such as Lee Cheon-soo, Park Joo-ho, and Ki Sung-yueng emphasized the necessity of Son Heung-min remaining in the stadium through YouTube and various channels. Ahn Jung-hwan even said that Son Heung-min's current tactical position is close to that of a 'scapegoat' and pointed out the captain's difficulties of having to bear the burden of defense while being isolated at the front line.

In addition to the theory of tactical failure, it is very unusual that Yang Hyun-jun's actions during the game were at the center of controversy in Japan. Public opinion in Japan continued to criticize Yang Hyun-Jun's physical contact with the Mexican player and his reaction in certain situations, framing it as a 'personality controversy'. Some media outlets even mentioned Yang Hyun-jun's behavior outside of the game and called him rude, which seems to be intended to tarnish the image of the Korean team rather than analyzing the soccer game itself. Japan's reaction reflects their unique nature of reacting very sensitively to the success or failure of Korean soccer, but it is clearly an unreasonable claim to devalue a player based only on fragmentary scenes while ignoring the context of the fierce competition that actually takes place in the stadium.

The tactical challenge facing Hong Myung-bo is also directly related to Son Heung-min's positioning problem. As Ki Sung-yong pointed out, the analysis that it is more threatening to deploy Son Heung-min in the side area to maximize his sharp penetration and space penetration rather than positioning him as a lone player is gaining persuasiveness. On the other hand, from the coach's perspective, in a situation where scoring was desperately needed, he used several replacement cards to reorganize the offensive line, but the lack of decisiveness, such as Cho Kyu-sung's header heading directly toward the goalkeeper, was painful. Although there are many consequential interpretations, the fact that the substitute players were unable to fill Son Heung-min's vacancy remains an issue that Coach Hong must solve in the remaining match against South Africa. At a time when tactical flexibility should be exercised, the uniform substitution pattern has become toxic.

The current situation where external shaking and internal tactical criticism towards the Korean national team intersect will put great psychological pressure on the national team ahead of the final match against South Africa. The Japanese media's excessive cavil is creating a paradoxical situation that provides a reason for our athletes to unite. Korea, which remains at 3 points after losing to Mexico, needs at least a draw against South Africa to advance to the round of 32. Now is the time to redefine Son Heung-min's usage, increase the precision of replacement timing, and manage his mentality so as not to be swayed by off-field controversies. This is because the most professional response is to silence external noise with a clear result inside the stadium.