'Both Jeong Mong-gyu and Hong Myung-bo have left': Shocking A-match attendance numbers draw attention to whether Coach Moreno's regime can trigger a rebound

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's A-match friendlies will be held consecutively for four games from the end of this month through next month. This marks the first time since November last year that A-match friendlies are being held domestically. There is interest in whether the attendance numbers, which had plummeted to shocking levels amid angry public opinion directed at former President Jeong Mong-gyu and head coach Hong Myung-bo's team, will recover.

South Korea, led by interim coach Roberto Moreno (Spain), will begin with a match against Ecuador at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 24th, followed by Uruguay on the 28th at Seoul World Cup Stadium, Venezuela on the 2nd at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, and Uzbekistan on the 6th at Yongin Mir Stadium. Until last year, FIFA divided the A-match periods in September and October into two-game blocks each, but starting this year, the A-match period from September to October is integrated into a four-game block.

This four-game series marks the first journey of South Korean football's new beginning after failing to qualify for the North America World Cup and serves as preparation for next January's AFC Asian Cup. Following the resignation of former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, who took responsibility for the team's failure in the World Cup group stage, Coach Moreno has taken over interim command to lead this four-game series and the upcoming two-game series in November.

What draws attention is how much fan sentiment has changed in about a year. At one time, A-matches were so popular that tickets were hard to get. Ticket sales were always fierce, and stadiums were often sold out. However, since Coach Hong Myung-bo was appointed in 2024, interest in the national team dropped significantly. The sell-out streak ended from Hong's debut match, and fans at the stadium poured out shouts and jeers demanding the resignation of Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) and Coach Hong Myung-bo.

Administrative chaos within the Korea Football Association during the appointment process of Coach Hong Myung-bo, along with the national team's poor performance after his arrival, led to a shocking drop in attendance. Attendance for the Paraguay match at Seoul World Cup Stadium last October fell as low as 22,206. The following November also saw only around 30,000 spectators: 33,852 for the Bolivia match at Daejeon World Cup Stadium and 33,256 for the Ghana match at Seoul World Cup Stadium, revealing the cold fan sentiment directly in the stands.

Following this, the Hong Myung-bo team announced its final World Cup roster in March after a European away trip. Without a domestic departure ceremony, they moved directly to their pre-camp location in the United States, played two final friendly matches, and then headed to Mexico, the "decisive battleground." A-matches, which had not been held since the Ghana match last November, will finally take place on the 24th against Ecuador after a 10-month break.

With ticket sales for the four-game series starting on the 15th, there is interest in how fans, who were cold about a year ago, will react. Coincidentally, both former President Jeong Mong-gyu and former head coach Hong Myung-bo, who faced fierce criticism from fans in the past, have stepped down, and with Spanish-born Coach Moreno taking interim command, the atmosphere may change. However, the Korea Football Association still has not fully normalized, as seen with Gong Seok-in (Chairman), and disappointment or anger over the poor performance in the North America World Cup may still remain.

In this process, the most important factor is undoubtedly Coach Moreno's tactics and the players' performance. Regardless of ticket sales starting on the 15th for each match, the success of the four-game A-match series will largely depend on what kind of performance the Moreno-led team shows in the early stages. It has already been confirmed through several A-matches last year that the mere presence of star players like Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) cannot draw fans to the stadiums.

For example, if the Moreno-led team delivers an impressive performance in the opening match against Ecuador, that impact could carry over to subsequent matches and serve as a foundation for restoring A-match enthusiasm. Conversely, if they are limited to disappointing performances from the start, the repercussions will inevitably extend to future matches, compounded by the poor showing in the North America World Cup. Facing a heavy burden, Coach Moreno will arrive via Incheon International Airport on the 13th and announce the four-game A-match Yeon Jeon (CEO) team roster the following day at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, during a press conference for his appointment.

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*This content was translated by AI.