'Oh Hyeon-gyu, Son Heung-min, Lee Dong-gyeong consecutive goals' Moreno's perfect debut as Korean coach... Ecuador crushed 3-0 [Suwon Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Led by coach Robert Moreno, the South Korea national football team defeated Ecuador and secured a pleasant first victory. Three consecutive goals in the second half decided the match.

On the 24th at 8 p.m., South Korea crushed Ecuador 3-0 in the Hana Bank Invitational National Team Friendly Match held at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

All three goals came in the second half. In the 9th minute of the second half, Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) struck a right-footed mid-range shot that deflected off the opposing defense and went over the goalkeeper's head for the opening goal. Then, in the 13th minute, Son Heung-min (LAFC) curled a precise right-footed direct free kick from near the left corner into the far net. In the 41st minute of the second half, substitute Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD) added a third goal to seal the victory.

As he had declared upon taking charge, Coach Moreno deployed a 4-4-2 formation. The front two were Son Heung-min and Oh Hyeon-gyu. On the midfield flanks, Song Min-gyu (CD Nacional) and Jeong Seung-won (FC Seoul) were positioned, while Park Jin-seop (Zhejiang FC) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) operated in central midfield. The back four consisted of Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Han-beom (Club Brugge), and Seol Young-woo (Augsburg), with veteran goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) guarding the goal. Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Hwang In-beom (FC Porto), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), and Gu Seong-yun (Seoul) were left out of the squad.

South Korea seized early control of the match. In the 10th minute, Son Heung-min's aggressive run drew a free kick and a yellow card from the opponent near the edge of the penalty area. His direct shot was blocked by the defensive wall. Ecuador attempted to exploit spaces behind South Korea with quick passing combinations, while South Korea maintained possession and responded. In the 22nd minute, Son Heung-min's left-footed mid-range shot missed wide to the left of the goal.

Ecuador also continued their counterattacks. In the 30th minute, John Yeboah's left-footed mid-range shot from near the penalty box flew over the crossbar. In the 31st minute, Cho Hyun-woo narrowly avoided a dangerous situation when he fell backward during an aerial duel but quickly recovered. Throughout the first half, both teams exchanged attacks, but Moreno's side showed some lack of coordination with overlapping player movements and mistimed passes, ending the first half scoreless at 0-0.

The momentum shifted sharply in South Korea's favor in the second half. In the 6th minute of the second half, after an on-field review, the referee showed a yellow card to Angelo Preciado for stepping on Song Min-gyu's ankle, escalating the match intensity.

Shortly after, in the 9th minute of the second half, Oh Hyeon-gyu scored with a deflected right-footed shot, giving Moreno's team their first goal. Just four minutes later, Son Heung-min added another stunning right-footed free-kick goal, widening the gap.

Leading 2-0, Coach Moreno made substitutions in the 20th minute of the second half, bringing on Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Vienna), Hwang Hee-chan (FC Schalke 04), and Kim Bong-soo (Daejeon Hana Citizen) for Lee Han-beom, Cho Hyun-woo, Jeong Seung-won, and Park Jin-seop to enhance mobility.

There were also moments of danger. In the 25th minute of the second half, Juan Angulo's low right-footed shot was saved by Kim Seung-gyu, who then calmly collected a deflected second ball that had hit Seol Young-woo, preventing a goal.

In the 30th minute of the second half, South Korea substituted Kim Min-jae, Song Min-gyu, and Oh Hyeon-gyu for Jo Wi-je (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Kim Min-su (Rangers), and Oh Se-hoon (Shimizu S-Pulse). Kim Min-su, who had just made his debut with the national team, played in his first A-match on this day.

In the 38th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min broke through alone from the halfway line into the penalty area and delivered a decisive pass to Oh Se-hoon, but Oh's left-footed shot narrowly missed the left side of the goal. Son Heung-min was substituted for Lee Dong-gyeong in the 39th minute of the second half, completing his duties.

The final goal came from Lee Dong-gyeong's foot. In the 41st minute of the second half, after an exquisite combination play and a pass from Kim Bong-soo, Lee Dong-gyeong fired a sharp left-footed shot into the net. The match concluded with a decisive 3-0 victory for South Korea.

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*This content was translated by AI.