"Hong Myung-bo's Hong Myung-bo Team match." Even if you hit the goal three times, there's no answer to "automated door defense." Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in Silence, 0-4 Thoroughly Defeated by Ivory Coast

*This content was translated by AI.

Hong Myung-bo Team lost to African powerhouse Ivory Coast in the 1,000th A-match of the Korean national soccer team.

The South Korean men's national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, was completely defeated 0-4 in the March A-match warm-up match against Ivory Coast at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England, at 11 p.m. on the 28th (Korea time).

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. Korea had only one effective shot, but Ivory Coast had as many as five.

Coach Hong Myung-bo left out Park Jin-seop, Cho Yoo-min and Kim Moon-hwan at the beginning of the second half. Baek Seung-ho, Yang Hyun-joon, and Lee Han-beom were deployed at the same time to change the midfield and the right side of the defense line.

Amid the trend of South Korea in the early second half, Cho Kyu-sung, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in were deployed in the 13th minute of the second half, and the three-top changed at once.

South Korea's defensive concentration collapsed again, giving up its third run. In the 18th minute of the second half, Yang Hyun-joon was heading to the boss to give a fly ball to his teammate as a header. Goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo blocked the shot, but Godot shot the second ball again to break the net.

As Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in stood on the left and right sides, respectively, South Korea's offense somewhat revived. In the 30th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min was wrapped with his left foot from outside the box, but was blocked by a defender. A minute later, Lee Kang-in kicked with his left foot from the arc circle, but he came out after hitting the left side of the net again. It was South Korea's third hit of the net.

In the 35th minute of the second half, Seol Young-woo fell out and Um Ji-sung entered. Um Ji-sung stood in the left wingback position, not the original offensive position.

South Korea continued to try to attack by increasing the ball possession rate, but there was no efficient attack leading to the final third. In the 39th minute of the second half, Baek Seung-ho kicked hard with his left foot after chest trapping in the arc circle, but the goalkeeper hit it.

South Korea gave up its fourth run to Wilfled Singo in extra time in the second half and was completely defeated 0-4.

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*This content was translated by AI.