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Fewer Fans Expect Korea to Survive World Cup Group

People are losing their faith in Korea's chances of advancing to the second round of the World Cup.

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Gallup Korea conducted a poll on 664 people nationwide from Tuesday to Wednesday and found that only 42 percent believe Korea will make it to the knockout stages. Some 44 percent expected the team to be eliminated in the group stage.

Some 32 percent said Korea will advance to the second round, while 7 percent expected the team to make it to the quarterfinals and 2 percent to the semifinals. Another 1 percent expected Korea to win the Cup, and 14 percent declined to answer or said they had no opinion.

National football team manager Hong Myung-bo gives instructions to players at the Flamengo Esporte Clube in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil on Wednesday (seen in photo at the top).

In an earlier poll on 902 adults conducted in December, 81 percent of respondents said Korea will advance to the second round or further. More than half of those who answered, or 55 percent, said Korea will make it to the round of 16, while 18 percent expected to see the team make it to the quarterfinals and 7 percent to the semifinals. Only 9 percent expected the team to make a first round exit.

The latest results seem to reflect the disappointment felt over Korea's losses in two recent friendlies. The country lost to Tunisia 1-0 on May 28 and was beaten 4-0 by Ghana on Tuesday. The earlier poll was conducted right after the World Cup group draw on Dec. 7. When Korea was put in Group H along with Algeria, Belgium and Russia, the public had high expectations of the national team because the group was regarded to be more evenly weighted than other groups.

Son Heung-min was chosen as the player most likely to deliver for Korea in the Brazil World Cup with a support rating of 28 percent, followed by Ki Sung-yueng (25 percent), Park Chu-young (16 percent) and Lee Chung-yong (14 percent). Those polled were able to choose multiple players.

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