Seoul World Cup Stadium was nearly empty.
The South Korea national soccer team, coached by Hong Myung-bo, will play a friendly against Paraguay at 8 p.m. on the 14th at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The "South American powerhouse" Paraguay is a team that came back with a 2-2 draw from an away match in Japan on the 10th.
They must change the mood with a win. Hong Myung-bo's side suffered a 0-5 defeat against Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. They deployed a three-back again, but could not cope with Brazil's pressure and overwhelming individual skills.
They were outmatched not only in the result but also in the substance of the game. In the 13th minute of the first half, Korea conceded the opening goal to 2007-born Estevão after a killer pass from Bruno Guimarães, and then conceded an additional goal to Rodrygo.
The second half was even more one-sided. Brazil's high press induced a fatal mistake from Kim Min-jae and easily produced the third goal, and shortly after they capitalized on Baek Seung-ho's error to quickly extend the lead to 4-0. In the closing stages, Vinícius Júnior added another goal to complete a 5-0 rout. Losing by five goals at home was the first time in 24 years since the 2001 match against France.
With disappointment lingering from the loss to Brazil, attention turned to the result against Paraguay. But the turnout is disastrous. As of 6 p.m., about 22,000 tickets had been sold. Of 66,000 seats, about 44,000—roughly two-thirds—remained empty.
Seoul World Cup Stadium, the shrine of Korean soccer, faces the prospect of not even filling half its seats, let alone selling out. Moreover, the disappointment is greater because this match has all the overseas-based players called up, including captain Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae.
In fact, even with only about two hours left until kickoff, the north plaza of the stadium noticeably lacked crowds. Normally the area is lined with various event booths, but on this day there was more empty space than usual.
The hugely popular photo booth hardly required any waiting, and there were no crowds in front of the food trucks either. A vendor selling cheering goods sighed, saying, "There are too few people. I've never seen it this empty."
The aftermath of the heavy defeat to Brazil also seems to be a factor. About 60,000 fans entered for the Brazil match to see the superstars, but attendance for the Paraguay match risks dropping to less than half.
Of course, the national team has struggled to draw crowds under Jürgen Klinsmann and Hong Myung-bo. In Klinsmann's early days there was intense interest and sellouts, but as the team increasingly showed disappointing performances, fans' interest declined.
Attendance has fallen especially after Hong Myung-bo took charge. Although the Jordan match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in March sold out, the team has not filled the stadium since. Including the Paraguay match, that makes six consecutive home games without a sellout.
Meanwhile, a ceremony marking Son Heung-min's record for most A-match appearances (137 matches) in Korean soccer history will be held at this match. He achieved another milestone by starting in the recent Brazil game, surpassing former coaches Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo. To commemorate it, former coach Cha Bum-kun will visit the stadium and personally present Son Heung-min with a commemorative jersey. The Korea Football Association said it will be a meaningful ceremony linking the past, present and future of Korean soccer.
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