"Korean football, first match under new coach... there will be variables" Ecuador's new commander declares war on Moreno's team

*This content was translated by AI.

Marcelo Gallardo (Argentina), the new coach of Ecuador, and veteran goalkeeper Hernan Galindez have issued their challenge ahead of the match against South Korea's national team in September A-match friendlies.

South Korea and Ecuador will play a friendly national team match at 8 p.m. on the 24th at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

This matchup is a special test for both teams' commanders. South Korea will make its debut under new coach Robert Moreno (Spain). For Ecuador, it is also the first A-match scheduled under Gallardo, who took charge in September.

According to the Korean Football Association (KFA), at an official press conference held on the 23rd, Coach Gallardo stated, "Both the South Korean national team and Ecuador are at a point of making a fresh start with new squads after the World Cup, so there could be various variables." He added, "Coach Moreno may have thoroughly analyzed us, but I am also preparing carefully for the match against Korea."

He also conveyed the reality of assembling the team under tight scheduling. Coach Gallardo said, "In fact, I only met the players last night. The time was so short that I haven't been able to check all the players yet," but emphasized, "As we spend time together and continue training, I expect we will gradually develop better coordination. It is too early to mention specific players or discuss tactical completion, but as always, we will do our best in the match."

Veteran goalkeeper Galindez, who attended as Seon Su (CEO), also conveyed his firm resolve. Galindez said, "Honestly, I am still adjusting to the time difference, but I am happy to be on Asian soil for the first time." He added, "I am getting along well with Coach Gallardo, who recently took charge, and I want to combine forces with new faces joining the team to achieve good results."

He also revealed the story behind reversing his retirement decision to return to the national team. Ecuador was eliminated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 after losing 0-2 to host nation Mexico. Galindez said, "The result right after the World Cup was disappointing and caused me great mental distress, so I decided to retire, believing my role with the national team was over." He continued, "But I felt that I could not refuse the call of my country and team. Representing one's nation is always a great honor. I am grateful to the coach who gave me another chance," he said emphatically.

South Korea will face Ecuador on the 24th as the first of four A-match friendlies, followed by Uruguay (Seoul) on the 28th, Venezuela (Ulsan) on October 2, and Uzbekistan (Yongin) on the 6th. All four matches are scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.