'Korea' National Team's First Match Under New Coach Moreno: "Time Is Limited, What I Want to Show..." First A-Match Since the World Cup 'Opening Night Approaches'

*This content was translated by AI.

This marks the first A-match since the painful departure from the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in North and Central America. Under the leadership of newly appointed Spanish coach Roberto Moreno, the South Korean national team is finally set to unveil itself on the competitive stage.

The South Korea national team will face Ecuador in a Hana Bank Invitational Friendly Match at Suwon World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 24th.

A formal press conference was held on the 23rd, one day before the match, at the Cheonan Football Center in South Chungcheong Province. In line with the usual pre-match tradition where both the head coach and team captain attend together, Coach Moreno and captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) took the stage. Son Heung-min will continue to wear the captain's armband under the new coaching regime, leading the team from within and outside the field.

This is the beginning of a fresh start. Following the heartbreak of failing to advance past the group stage in the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, the position of South Korea's head coach remained vacant until Moreno was appointed through the country's first-ever open recruitment process. Moreno previously served as senior coach for Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

This four-match A-match series will also serve as a test to determine whether Moreno's tenure can be extended. It is reported that the Korean Football Association has included a clause allowing Moreno to continue leading the team through next year's Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, depending on the evaluation results.

According to the Korean Football Association, during today's press conference, Coach Moreno stated, "Although we have limited preparation time, I hope our football philosophy and concept will begin to show on the field through training with the players over the past days. I look forward to having enough time to demonstrate what we can do."

When asked about his plans for the starting lineup, he remained cautious. "Finding balance is important," he said. "With the new coaching staff in place, I wanted to communicate with the players, explain what we aim for, and confirm it through training. Matches are on a different level. We can gather the most information through actual games. I want to make judgments by watching the matches."

Regarding reports of him having an in-depth conversation with Son Heung-min during training, he explained, "It is essential to maintain good relationships with all players. Building strong bonds with them helps us play the kind of football we desire. It's not just about one person. People come first; by respecting each individual and maintaining positive relationships, it becomes easier to develop what we aim to achieve. I want to keep those good relationships."

In fact, Moreno's initial squad includes key European-based players such as captain Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Porto), and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04). Additionally, three new faces—Kim Geon-hee (Incheon United), Park Tae-jun (Kim Cheon (SVP)), and Kim Min-su (Rangers)—have earned their first-ever Taeguk mark. FC Seoul, currently leading K League 1, saw Gu Seong-yun, Jeong Seung-won, and Choi Jun-do rejoin the national team to strengthen its roster.

Coach Moreno's basic formation for the Koo Sang-ha-neun (CEO) team is expected to be a 4-4-2. Considering the short training camp period, this system—widely used by recent K League clubs—will allow clear definition of roles per position and maximize each player's strengths.

After making their debut against Ecuador, South Korea will face Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 28th, followed by matches against Venezuela at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on October 2nd and Uzbekistan at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 6th.

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*This content was translated by AI.