South Africa vs South Korea

The last time South Korea and South Africa met, it was a 2007 friendly in Seoul that finished 2-0 to the hosts. Their only other meeting, a 2-2 draw in a 2002 World Cup warm-up, suggested an open, technical contest between two sides who like the ball at their feet. This matchday-three fixture could determine which of them joins Mexico in the knockout stage, and that pressure will shape everything from the first whistle.

South Korea's Son Heung-min, potentially playing his last World Cup, will carry the attacking burden, but the tactical key is whether Hong Myung-bo can solve a defensive vulnerability against pace that has haunted his side in friendlies against African and South American opposition. South Africa's Percy Tau and Lyle Foster have that pace in abundance, and Broos will instruct them to stretch the Korean centre-backs, creating space for Teboho Mokoena's late runs from midfield. South Korea's answer is set pieces — Kim Min-jae is a genuine threat from corners, and South Africa's man-marking in the box has occasionally switched off during qualifying, conceding two goals from dead-ball situations in their final CAF qualifier alone.

The venue adds its own variable. Estadio BBVA in Monterrey sits at roughly 500 metres above sea level, modest by Mexican standards but enough to bite in the closing stages of a match played at tournament pace in late-June heat. South Korea's pressing game demands high energy reserves; South Africa's more patient approach may conserve legs better for the final 20 minutes.

If the match is level heading into the last quarter-hour, Broos's side will back themselves. If Son finds space between the lines earlier, South Korea's superior individual quality could settle it before fitness becomes a factor.