South Korea Faces a Formidable Quarterfinal Opponent: Dominican Republic or Venezuela

Now it is the knockout stage. A single loss means immediate elimination.

Under the leadership of manager Ryu Ji-hyun, the South Korean national baseball team dramatically advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) by defeating Australia 7-2 in a Group C match of the group stage held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on March 9. South Korea will travel to Miami, Florida, USA, on March 11, and will face the winner of Group D for a spot in the semifinals at 7:30 a.m. KST on March 14.

In Group D, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Israel, the Netherlands, and Nicaragua are competing. As of the morning of March 10, the Dominican Republic has secured three wins and Venezuela has two wins, both clinching spots in the quarterfinals. Which team will take the top spot will be determined by a head-to-head match between the two countries, scheduled for the evening of March 11 local time.

South Korea's opponent in the WBC quarterfinals is likely to be the Dominican Republic, which features Juan Soto, one of Major League Baseball's best hitters. Photo by AFP News Agency

원본보기 아이콘

South Korea’s quarterfinal opponent will be formidable. The team is stacked with Major League Baseball (MLB) superstars. The Dominican Republic boasts top-tier hitters like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays), Juan Soto (New York Mets), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres). In the group stage, they scored more than 10 runs in every game: 12-3 against Nicaragua, 12-1 against the Netherlands, and 10-1 against Israel.

Venezuela is strong as well, with a lineup filled with big leaguers such as Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves), Luis Arraez (San Francisco Giants), and Willson Contreras (St. Louis Cardinals).

If South Korea defeats either the Dominican Republic or Venezuela to reach the semifinals, they are likely to face the United States, who are expected to top Group B. The U.S. team is packed with world-class stars like Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber (both of the Philadelphia Phillies), making them title favorites. If South Korea rides the momentum from their miraculous quarterfinal qualification all the way to the final, they could once again face Japan for the championship trophy, just as they did in 2009.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.