*This content was translated by AI.
With Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) and Cho Koo-sung (28, Midtjylland) both scoring braces, Hong Myung-bo's squad secured a rare decisive victory.
Ranked 25th in the FIFA rankings, South Korea defeated 102nd-ranked Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in a friendly match held at 10 a.m. (Korean time) on the 31st at BYU South Field in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
South Korea deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation. Leading the front line was Son Heung-min, with Lee Dong-gyeong and Bae Jun-ho operating on the left and right flanks respectively. The midfield consisted of Kim Jin-gyu and Baek Seung-ho, while Jens Castrof was positioned as the left wing-back and Kim Moon-hwan on the opposite side. The back three was formed by Lee Han-beom, Cho Yu-min, and Lee Gi-hyeok. Goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo wore the gloves.
South Korea recorded its first shot of the match just eight minutes into the first half. Son Heung-min won a free kick from behind the arc and took it himself, but the shot was blocked by the defensive wall. In the subsequent South Korean attack, a ball cleared by a Trinidad defender struck the upper part of their own goal.
Although South Korea gradually increased its ball possession and dominated the match thereafter, it failed to create significant shooting opportunities. Up to the midpoint of the first half, Son Heung-min's single shot was the only one on target.
South Korea's second shot of the match came in the 31st minute of the first half. Kim Moon-hwan, who had been pushed wide on the right flank, delivered a cross, and Baek Seung-ho made a run to connect with a header, but the shot was saved by the goalkeeper.
Trinidad and Tobago launched a counterattack. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Mitchell broke through into the penalty area and shot, but Lee Han-beom chased him down and stopped the play with a tackle.
The opening goal came from Son Heung-min's foot late in the first half. In the 40th minute, Kim Moon-hwan penetrated the space behind the defense and played a low pass into the box, which Son Heung-min chased and finished with his right foot. The ball struck the goalkeeper and went into the net. With this goal, Son Heung-min recorded his 55th A-match goal.
Momentum continued to build for Son Heung-min, who scored his second goal just three minutes later. After Bae Jun-ho was fouled by an opponent defender, the referee immediately awarded a penalty kick (PK). Son Heung-min, taking the spot kick, curled a perfect shot into the far left corner to find the back of the net.
The first half ended with South Korea leading 2-0. Hong Myung-bo's team, which will play the first and second group stage matches of the North American World Cup qualifiers in the high-altitude city of Guadalajara, appeared to be breathing heavily, possibly due to the effects of the high altitude, in today's match played at an elevation of 1,460 meters with similar conditions.
Immediately after the second half began, central midfielder Kim Jin-gyu was substituted off and replaced by Lee Jae-sung. The goalkeeper was also changed from Cho Hyun-woo to Kim Seung-gyu.
South Korea faced an early setback in the second half. In the 9th minute, center-back Cho Yu-min was substituted due to injury. Cho Yu-min appeared to feel something wrong with his body while running, stopped, raised his hand to signal the bench, and was eventually replaced by Park Jin-seop.
Although South Korea continued to dominate the match in the second half and unleashed a barrage of shots, they were thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper's saves. In the 10th minute, a shot from Lee Dong-gyeong from outside the box deflected off a defender, and Bae Jun-ho took another shot, which the goalkeeper parried with a diving save. Son Heung-min chased the second ball and shot again, but this time the goalkeeper blocked it with his foot.
Two minutes later, Son Heung-min attempted his signature curling shot from outside the goal area, evading a defender, but the ball struck the left post and went out.
Bae Jun-ho also fell after a rough challenge from the opponent. In the 14th minute of the second half, Kwon tackled from behind, causing Bae Jun-ho to fall and get his ankle trapped against the opponent's body. Unable to get up, Bae Jun-ho was eventually substituted off with a dark expression.
Coach Hong Myung-bo made six substitutions in the 16th minute of the second half, bringing on Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan, Eom Ji-sung, Kim Min-jae, Seol Young-woo, and Cho Koo-sung to assess the overall condition of the squad.
Substitute Cho Koo-sung scored a header goal. In the 21st minute of the second half, during a counterattack, Lee Dong-gyeong penetrated the left flank and delivered a cross, which Cho Koo-sung rose high to finish with a header.
South Korea's fourth goal was scored. In the 30th minute of the second half, the goalkeeper, flustered by Eom Ji-sung's forward pressure, missed the ball, and Eom Ji-sung was knocked down by the kick. The referee immediately awarded a penalty kick, and Hwang Hee-chan, taking the spot kick, scored cleanly.
Cho Koo-sung scored his second goal. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Seol Young-woo played a pass from the goalkeeper's clearance directly to the center, and Cho Koo-sung connected with a non-stop shot to find the back of the net.
South Korea maintained control for the remainder of the match and concluded the game with a 5-0 victory.
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*This content was translated by AI.
