The South Korea men national football team gained a favorable break for the Mexico match, regarded as the biggest hurdle of the group stage at the North and Central America World Cup, with the opponent missing a key defender.

Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener at Mexico City Stadium on the 12th, but suffered a setback by losing starting center back Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow).

During second half stoppage time, Montes brought down South Africa player Khuliso Mudau as he attempted a counterattack. The referee immediately showed a red card, and Montes was sent off just before the final whistle. It was an unnecessary foul committed after two South Africa players had already been dismissed. Mexico secured three points, but will be unable to use its defensive anchor in the next match. As a result, Montes cannot play in the second group-stage match against Korea on the 19th at Guadalajara Stadium.

Standing 195㎝ tall, center back Montes currently plays for Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League. He previously gained European experience with Espanyol and Almeria in Spain La Liga. Debuting for Mexico in 2017, he has appeared in nearly 70 internationals and is a core member of the squad. He is rated for aerial dominance, stable man marking, and the ability to start build-up play from the back.

Within the Mexico national team, some even consider him more important than forward Raul Jimenez. In the match against South Africa, Montes partnered Johan Vazquez at center back and, with captain Edson Alvarez starting on the bench, he wore the armband as a starter. This underscores his importance under coach Javier Aguirre. He not only leads the back line but also contributes in set-piece situations, helping maintain Mexico balance in both attack and defense.

In a generally short Mexico squad, Montes is the tallest among outfield players. From Korea perspective, a burdensome opponent is now out. With Montes absent, Korea can look to tall attackers and defenders such as Oh Hyun-gyu, Cho Gue-sung, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Han-beom to hunt for goals.