Mexico vs. South Korea: Breaking Down Olympic Prelim Showdown

The Olympics may officially be kicking off on Friday night in London, but there will already be multiple matches completed in soccer.

On Thursday Mexico will be squaring off against South Korea in the opener of Group B at St. James’ Park in Newcastle in what should be an extremely competitive match.

While Giovani dos Santos of Mexico is the big name to watch, the South Koreans have multiple talents who could become stars by the time the Olympics have finished.

Midfielder Koo Ja-Cheol is the captain of the South Korea squad, and for good reason. He’s terrific at creating the action for his teammates and finding the seam in a defense. His vision is a real strength. Expect him to be racing up and down the field causing havoc against a Mexico squad that will struggle to match his speed.  

Another player Mexico must keep an eye on is Kim Bo-Kyung. The winger has scored two goals during their pre-Olympic run and is the team’s best shot at scoring a goal. A Bo-Kyung goal assisted by Ja-Cheol is a very likely scenario.

Offensively, South Korea should be able to compete just fine—it’s the defense that will be a glaring problem.

South Korean goalie Jung Sung-Ryong will have a ton of pressure on his shoulders.

The Mexican attack can come at you extremely fast with a handful of sharp-shooters dying to get a shot on goal, and the Korean defense is not exactly incredible.

Dos Santos is the only player on the team who’s based outside of Mexico. He has the raw speed and outstanding dribbling ability that makes it seem as if he’s faster with the ball. He's the playmaker South Korea must keep an eye on at all times.

Marco Fabian, Oribe Peralta and Carlos Salcido are all capable scorers as well who pose nightmare matchups for the South Koreans.

Sung-Ryon may have his hands full, but Mexican goalie Jose De Jesus Corona shouldn’t see more than just a handful of shots on goal. Not only does he have outstanding reaction time and anticipation, but he is blessed with one of the best backlines in the sport.

Salcido, Hiram Mier, Darvin Chavez and Diego Reyes make up a daunting line that will be incredibly hard to sneak one past. They are all rising stars who have the opportunity to do some serious damage in the next two weeks.

Expect Mexico to have the edge in time of possession, corner kicks and shots on goal. They have more depth, better athletes and a more reliable goalie.

In a match that could double as a FIFA World Cup affair, expect Mexico to emerge victorious.

Prediction: Mexico wins 3-2

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