That evening, the South Korean team's doctor stated in a media interview that many players had severe diarrhea due to the poor environment, which prevented the team from performing at its full potential.
All South Korean players have returned home early to receive proper treatment in hospitals.
While it was obvious to anyone with common sense that this was nonsense – if Thailand's sanitation was so bad, why didn't the Chinese players also suffer from diarrhea?
However, those in the know understood that this was merely a fig leaf for the Koreans. After all, they still had to fly back home; they couldn't very well swim back, could they?
Surprisingly, South Korean netizens readily accepted this explanation and flooded the internet with curses directed at Thailand, lamenting how their players were victimized by Thailand's terrible environment.
Such talk might have remained domestic, but the opportune Japanese netizens took action, enthusiastically broadcasting the South Korean netizens' sentiments onto Thai networks. This instantly ignited widespread outrage across Thai online platforms, with countless Thai netizens furiously denouncing the Koreans' shamelessness.
It was one thing to be unable to defeat the Chinese, but to shift the blame onto them sparked a heated exchange on Weibo, with voices raised in a deafening roar.
Once the verbal sparring escalated, one couldn't expect much restraint from the Koreans. They not only criticized Thailand's environment but also its culture, politics, religion, and society. Notably, Thailand's "specialized" industries became the primary targets of their slander.
This, in turn, proved too much for some Thai "specialized" workers. While their work might be unconventional, it wasn't their choice.
Furthermore, all professions are created equal, and no work is inherently inferior. Why should they be subjected to such insults?
Thus, an enraged Thai "specialized" worker, seeking revenge for the Koreans' vitriolic online comments and to prove that Thailand's environment was perfectly fine, uploaded a video online.
It would be inappropriate to detail the video's content; to do so would be to invite deletion.
In essence, it depicted a client receiving services from a Thai "specialized" worker. Their verbal dispute escalated into a physical confrontation, followed by scenes akin to "Tunnel Warfare" or "Landmine Warfare." The entire process was captured in full.
Keen observers immediately recognized the main protagonist in this Thai encounter as none other than the South Korean team captain and star player, Park Jung-hae.
Adding insult to injury, the Thai worker thoughtfully included the date the video was recorded – the very evening before the match. This implied that their captain had been "passionately engaged" with a Thai individual the day before facing the Chinese.
It perfectly explained the apparent lack of power and substance in his footwork throughout the game!
The South Koreans were then utterly silenced. After a few scattered accusations against the Thai "specialized" workers for their lack of professionalism in filming, and a declaration of never returning to Thailand, they hastily retreated from the online battlefield.
However, the domestic battle had just begun. Following the video's exposure, countless netizens descended upon Park Jung-hae. The South Korean team's leading star and on-field captain immediately faced an unbearable onslaught of pressure.
The South Korean Football Association seized this opportunity to kick him while he was down, shifting all blame onto Park Jung-hae.
After all, such a convenient scapegoat was too valuable to pass up. Every failure could easily be attributed to Park Jung-hae, absolving everyone else and preserving their beloved status among domestic fans.
Within two days, the team's core player was permanently banned, showcasing the South Korean Football Association's resolve to combat "unhealthy trends."
South Korean players also began criticizing Park Jung-hae on social media, employing carefully chosen words to deflect all responsibility onto him.
As for Park Jung-hae himself, he vanished completely. Years later, however, Park Jung-hae changed his nationality and reappeared in Thailand. Seeking redemption, he began leading the Thai team toward resurgence, but that is a story for another time.
From the perspective of those who understood the situation, South Korea's 2034 campaign was effectively over.
They would not secure the top Asian seed, meaning they wouldn't be grouped with other regions' second and third seeds. Instead, they would be placed with another region's top and third seeds.
Under the current tournament format, only one team from each group could advance. Based on the 2030 experience, 13 out of 16 groups saw their top seeds emerge victorious.
The remaining three groups were won by second seeds, but two of those second seeds hailed from Europe, and one from South America, none of which had any connection to Asia.
Unless the South Korean team produced an extraordinary performance in the group stage, their chances of advancing were virtually nil.
But the problem was, the South Korean team had expelled their on-field captain and key player before the tournament even began. How could they possibly compete now?
Consequently, many criticized the South Korean Football Association online for their utter foolishness in making such a mistake at this juncture. While Park Jung-hae's actions were indeed reprehensible, shouldn't the World Cup take precedence? How could they cripple themselves so close to the tournament?
Initially, this viewpoint garnered significant support, with many deeming the South Korean Football Association incredibly stupid. That is, until someone posted a reply:
"Really? You think the South Korean Football Association's decision is stupid? On the contrary, it's a stroke of genius.
Firstly, after losing their top seed, their probability of reaching the Round of 16 drops below 20%, even with Park Jung-hae as their on-field leader. Thus, South Korea is highly unlikely to advance from the group stage.
Since South Korea is unlikely to advance regardless of Park Jung-hae's presence, why not sell him off now, garner the support and understanding of all South Korean netizens, and shift all blame onto him?
Furthermore, this scapegoating isn't a one-time event. After the World Cup group stage, the South Korean Football Association can simply claim that South Korea's elimination wasn't due to their lack of skill, the players' inadequacy, or the Football Association's lack of effort, but rather Park Jung-hae's fault!
The South Korean Football Association invested four years of time and effort into their top star, Park Jung-hae, building an entire offensive and defensive system around him. The entire national team trained for two to three years around this system.
Now that Park Jung-hae's mistakes have led to his departure from the national team, consequently collapsing the system trained over two to three years, this is the fundamental reason for South Korea's failure to advance. Therefore, all blame rests squarely on Park Jung-hae's shoulders, leaving the entire South Korean team and Football Association as pure and spotless as a white lotus.
Upon hearing this explanation, all netizens were convinced and marveled at the South Korean Football Association's exceptional acumen and strategy, placing them leagues above the indolent and incompetent Chinese Football Association.
Amidst this clamorous public opinion, the World Cup qualifiers for the top 12 in Groups A and B concluded.
Group A was won by Team Am with an undefeated record, securing a direct spot as a top seed in the World Cup group stage. South Korea finished second, followed by the seasoned powerhouse, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Group B was topped by Japan, with Australia in second place and Kuwait, having invested heavily in player recruitment, in third.
As for the fourth-placed teams in the two groups vying for the remaining 0.5 spot, they were Thailand and Vietnam.
What about the Chinese national team?
Please, the Chinese national team didn't even make it to the top 12 qualifiers!
Ultimately, after the national teams completed their final training camps, all qualified teams converged in Uruguay to contend for the 2034 World Cup championship.
Even before the tournament commenced, a significant piece of news broke: the world's richest man, Huang He, would attend the opening ceremony of the Uruguay World Cup and would watch every match of Team Am until the tournament concluded.
This news sent shockwaves across the globe.
It had been a full twenty years since Huang He last traveled abroad after fetching someone from Europe. He had remained in China throughout this period, leading many to believe he would never leave the country again. After all, Huang He was now 57 years old and would reach retirement age in three years.
Yet, Huang He genuinely appeared at the World Cup opening match. Media later learned that HX intended to leverage the World Cup opportunity for a high-level commercial cooperation plan with Uruguay.
With a government charter flight and a prominent figure's attendance, the trip was scheduled for one month. Boss Huang, as the head of this commercial delegation, naturally accompanied the group, enjoying the highest level of treatment and maximum security, thus having the courage to make the journey. Before his departure, Huang He reportedly prepared a will, stating that should anything happen, his second son would directly inherit the entire Jiangnan Group, leaving no room for rivals.
Of course, no one believed that Boss Huang was merely attending a commercial delegation. The core reason for Huang He's full participation in this World Cup was, naturally, to cheer for his son.
This further solidified a prevailing speculation: Huang He's biological son was indeed among the World Cup squad. However, the identity of this child remained a subject of much debate, with no definitive answer emerging.