'Shock, what is this?' Korean football suffers three-goal deficit... Historic collapse in first half against Uruguay, 0-3 [Seoul Olympic Stadium]

*This content was translated by AI.

It was a shocking poor performance. The South Korean men's national football team ended the first half trailing by three goals amid subpar play.

The South Korean national football team, led by interim coach Roberto Moreno, concluded the first half 0-3 in the Hana Bank Invitational National Team Friendly Match against Uruguay held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the afternoon of the 28th.

This was the second match for interim coach Moreno. Earlier, South Korea secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Ecuador at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 24th.

However, the atmosphere today was different. Uruguay's star striker Darwin Nunez (Al-Hilal) scored the opening goal in the 14th minute of the first half, and midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo) added another in the 27th minute.

South Korea then launched counterattacks to equalize but struggled to break through Uruguay's defense.

Coach Moreno stuck with his unchanged 4-4-2 formation.

Up front, Son Heung-min and Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) started. The midfield featured Kim Bong-soo (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04), and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz).

The defensive line consisted of Seol Young-woo (Augsburg), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Club Brugge), while goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) guarded the goal.

Uruguay, led by interim coach Diego Forlan, a former world-class striker, lost 1-3 to Japan in an evaluation match on the 24th but fought hard until the final minutes, holding a 1-1 draw for much of the game.

Today, Uruguay displayed formidable attacking power from the start of the first half. Starting lineup included European top-league players such as Darwin Nunez leading the attack, Maximiliano Araujo (Sporting CP), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), and Ronald Araujo (Liverpool).

South Korea conceded shots early and signaled a difficult start. In the 12th minute, Lee Kang-in attempted to shift momentum with a bold long-range shot.

However, the opening goal came just one minute later. Uruguay won the ball in South Korea's half, De Arrascaeta delivered a precise through pass, and Nunez calmly shot past Kim Seung-gyu in a one-on-one situation to open the scoring.

Uruguay added another goal in the 27th minute when De Arrascaeta fired a spectacular long-range shot, extending the lead by two goals.

South Korea grew frustrated; Seol Young-woo engaged in a heated exchange with Uruguay's Rodriguez attacker. Lee Han-beom even fell after being struck in the face by the ball.

In the 43rd minute of the first half, South Korea conceded another goal to Varela following an immediate counterattack. Disappointment was evident on the faces of the Korean players.

Ultimately, South Korea ended the first half with a heartbreaking 0-3 deficit.

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*This content was translated by AI.