Hong Myung-bo's team suffered a complete defeat in their 1,000th A match. It was the final live rehearsal before the World Cup, but problems were exposed on both offense and defense. Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) said, "We need to learn more from games like this."
The South Korea national soccer team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-4 to Ivory Coast in a friendly at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England, on the 28th (Korea time).
South Korea started in a 3-4-3 with Hwang Hee-chan, Oh Hyun-kyu and Bae Jun-ho up front. Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung started on the bench.
The start was not bad. In the 19th minute of the first half, Oh Hyun-kyu's shot hit the post, and in the 42nd minute of the first half, Seol Young-woo's right-footed shot also struck the post. They created several chances but failed to finish.
Ivory Coast, however, did not miss their opportunities. In the 35th minute of the first half, Évans Gassi scored the opening goal, and in first-half stoppage time, Simon Adingra added another. South Korea wavered in wide defense and during transitions and finished the first half trailing 0-2.
Coach Hong Myung-bo brought on Yang Hyun-joon, Baek Seung-ho and Lee Han-beom at the start of the second half, and then introduced Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Cho Kyu-sung as he launched a counterattack.
But the flow did not change. In the 17th minute of the second half, from a corner kick situation, they conceded a third goal to Martial Godo. In the 31st minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in's long-range shot again struck the post.
Just before the end of the match, they conceded after a pass from substitute Ahmad Diallo to Singo, making it 0-4.
Three months before the World Cup finals, South Korea confirmed both the instability of the three-back and a lack of finishing in their final live rehearsal.
After the match, captain Son Heung-min, speaking in a broadcast interview, said, "Football is ultimately about momentum. When chances came, we should have turned them into goals. There are regrettable aspects in the goals conceded, but the opponent also made good plays. I think these issues will certainly appear at the World Cup. Everyone comes prepared this much. We need to prepare better."
He added, "I think no matter who the opponent is, it always becomes a difficult match. Stronger opponents prepare better. I think we can learn a lot from this match and matches like the Brazil game. When approaching a match, we must always be humble and act as if the other team is better than us."
He emphasized, "The players surely felt a lot. Ultimately, the more they feel while training and playing matches, the better. Defeat is painful, but we must learn more from it."
Son Heung-min said, "I had a slight cold even before the camp. Nevertheless, the condition was managed well. I am much improved. I apologize to the fans who came to the stadium and those who supported us from Korea for showing a disappointing performance. As we get closer to match fitness, I believe today's defeat will definitely help us take a step forward."
He added, "You may be clearly disappointed, but if you continue to support us as passionately as you do now, we will do our best to show you a better performance, and an even better performance in the next match."
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