Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in fell behind Korea, Ivory Coast 0-2... The defense is "anxious" even if it hit "goal No. 2." (End of the first half)

*This content was translated by AI.

Hong Myung-bo Team is losing ground to African powerhouse Ivory Coast by giving up two goals in the first half alone.

The South Korean men's national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, finished 0-2 in the first half of the match against Ivory Coast in March at 11 p.m. on the 28th (Korea Standard Time) at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England.

South Korea operated a 3-4-2-1 formation. Oh Hyun-kyu, Hwang Hee-chan, and Bae Jun-ho are on the front-line three-top, while Kim Jin-kyu and Park Jin-seop are formed in the midfield. Five-backs included Seol Young-woo, Kim Tae-hyun, Kim Min-jae, and Cho Yoo-min. Cho Hyun-woo wore goalkeeper gloves. Key European players such as Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung started on the bench.

South Korea scored its first shot of the game early in the first half. In the 12th minute of the first half, Hwang Hee-chan penetrated from the left side to the center and hit a strong mid-range shot. The ball flew diagonally like a clothesline but slightly off the post.

Ivory Coast failed to advance easily because it was difficult to find a gap as South Korea defended closely in the region, and aimed for the back space of the defense.

Oh Hyun-kyu, who has a high sense of goal recently, hit the post. Oh Hyun-kyu, who received Seol Young-woo's forward pass in the 20th minute of the first half, shot from the left side of the penalty box toward the other side of the net, but came out after hitting the net. Bae Jun-ho then fell and put his foot on the ball, but it didn't hit him properly.

Ivory Coast also scored its first shot. In the 25th minute of the first half, Simone Adingra shot from a free kick but was blocked by South Korea's defense wall.

Immediately afterwards, the 'hydration brake' was carried out. This is for the players to rest for about three minutes at each of the 22 minutes in the first and second half. Soccer will also be introduced to the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup in four quarters, with 22 minutes each from the 45-minute and late system. Coach Hong Myung-bo also used this time to instruct the players on tactics.

After the hydration break, Cote d'Ivoire caught the flow. South Korea overcame the crisis of losing points in the 32nd minute of the first half. Ivory Coast, which dug into the back space of the defense, scored a low and fast cross and the defender cleared it, but it flowed in front of Adingra. Adingra shot right away, but he was caught in defense again.

South Korea eventually conceded the first goal. In the 35th minute of the first half, in the Ivory Coast's counterattack, Cho Yoo-min fell behind Marshall Godot in a physical fight. Godot, who broke through the box, passed to Evan Geschamps, and Geschamps shot and finished.

South Korea, which conceded the first goal, continued to produce dangerous scenes. In the 38th minute of the first half, Cho Hyun-woo reached out and hit Jean-Michel Seri's mid-range shot. In the ensuing corner kick, Cho Hyun-woo blocked Emmanuel Agbadu's sharp header.

South Korea hit the second post. Seol Young-woo, who broke through the left side in the 43rd minute of the first half, dug into the center and shot, but hit the left side of the net. Two minutes later, Hwang Hee-chan shot in a mixed situation after a corner kick, but he was caught by a defender.

South Korea, which was pushed for a while, lost concentration again and allowed an additional goal. In the extra time of the first half, Adingra turned around and beat Cho Yoo-min, then curled it with his left foot to shake the net.

The first half ended with South Korea trailing 0-2. South Korea had only one effective shot, but Ivory Coast had as many as five.

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*This content was translated by AI.