'Son Heung-min, New Record for Most Goals in Korean Football History' South Korea Defeats Uzbekistan 2-0... Oh Se-hoon Scores Decisive Goal [Yongin On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Republic of Korea national football team achieved a decisive victory over Uzbekistan.

South Korea, led by interim head coach Roberto Moreno (Spain), defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 in the national team friendly match held on the 6th at Yongin Mireu Stadium, powered by consecutive goals from Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Oh Se-hoon (Shimizu S-Pulse).

Son Heung-min, who scored the opening winning goal with a free kick, recorded his 59th career international goal on this day, surpassing former national team head coach Cha Bum-keun (58 goals) to write a new history as the all-time top scorer in Korean football A-matches.

Furthermore, with this victory, the Moreno side concluded the four-match A-match friendly series in September and October with a record of two wins, one draw, and one loss.

The Moreno side had previously secured a 3-0 decisive victory against Ecuador in head coach Moreno's debut match last month, but suffered a 1-4 defeat in the subsequent match against Uruguay. After drawing 0-0 with Venezuela, they put an end to the four-match A-match series with today's victory over Uzbekistan.

However, regardless of the results, the Moreno side left some regrets by failing to show impressive performance throughout the four-match A-match series in September and October.

In today's match against Uzbekistan as well, despite the opponent being ranked 60th in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings, significantly lower than South Korea (32nd), they failed to dominate the opponent.

They not only fought fiercely against Uzbekistan, a team with clearly inferior strength throughout the match, but also narrowly escaped several scoring threats thanks to a display of saves by goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD).

Head coach Moreno will temporarily lead a total of six matches, including two more next month, after which his decision to take charge of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia in January next year will be determined following an evaluation by the Korea Football Association. Away friendly matches are scheduled for November.

On this day, South Korea deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Son Heung-min and Oh Se-hoon as the front-line duo, and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04) and Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) on the left and right flanks, respectively.

Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05) and Park Jin-seop (Zhejiang FC) coordinated in midfield, while Cho Hyun-taek (Ulsan HD), Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), Lee Han-beom (Club Brugge), and Kim Tae-hyun (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) formed the defensive line. The goalkeeper was Cho Hyun-woo. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) was excluded from the squad entirely.

South Korea broke the 0-0 deadlock just six minutes into the first half. A right-footed free kick taken by Son Heung-min from the left side of the arc flew directly into the opponent's goal. It was a moment when he set a new record for the most career international goals for the Republic of Korea national football team, surpassing former head coach Cha Bum-keun 16 years after his A-match debut in 2010.

However, despite the early lead, South Korea failed to maintain momentum and ceded control. Unable to create significant opportunities, South Korea instead faced danger as their defensive backspace collapsed, but escaped the crisis thanks to a save by Cho Hyun-woo.

Struggling to create shooting opportunities, South Korea attempted an additional goal with a free kick taken by Son Heung-min from the left side of the penalty box during stoppage time in the first half. However, Son Heung-min's free kick went straight to the goalkeeper and came to nothing.

Head coach Moreno made changes at halftime, substituting Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung with Song Min-gyu (Nacional) and Hwang In-beom (Porto), respectively. In the third minute of the second half, Son Heung-min's free kick was deflected by the goalkeeper's fingertips, nullifying the chance for an additional goal, and four minutes later, a header from Oh Se-hoon connecting with Cho Hyun-taek's cross went wide of the post.

Scoring threats continued. However, Cho Hyun-woo's 'display of saves' broke the flow. He threw his body to block both the opponent's surprise scissors kick and their threatening long-range shots.

Having weathered the scoring threat, South Korea extended their lead in the 15th minute of the second half. Song Min-gyu, who had cut into the right flank, delivered a cross to the goalmouth, and tall striker Oh Se-hoon connected with a header to shake the opponent's net. Oh Se-hoon's attack utilizing his height finally bore fruit.

With the momentum of victory in hand, South Korea utilized four substitution cards simultaneously in the 26th minute of the second half. Son Heung-min, Oh Se-hoon, Hwang Hee-chan, and Park Jin-seop were replaced by Oh Hyun-gyu (Besiktas), Lee Dong-kyung (Ulsan), Jeong Seung-won (FC Seoul), and Kim Bong-soo (Daejeon Hana Citizen).

Having made significant changes to the attack and midfield, South Korea increased their possession rate while seeking a third goal. However, they struggled to create decisive opportunities and even allowed counter-attacks from the opponent.

Head coach Moreno made changes in the 38th minute of the second half, substituting Cho Hyun-woo and Kim Tae-hyun (Jeonbuk) with Gu Seong-yun and Choi Jun (both Seoul). Despite a two-goal lead, the Moreno side struggled to nail down the victory. However, they finished the match without conceding any goals that could have changed the flow of the game.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.