In just six matches, will the journey of Manager Moreno and the South Korean national football team come to an "end" after all... A devastating "shocking defeat" against Saudi Arabia

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The partnership between Manager Roberto Moreno and the Republic of Korea national football team appears to be nearing its end. With only one match remaining against Qatar on the 17th before his contract expires, the defeat against Saudi Arabia proved fatal.

South Korea, led by interim head coach Moreno, lost 2-3 in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on the 13th (KST). This marks the first time South Korea has fallen to Saudi Arabia in a whopping 21 years, since the final Asian qualifiers for the 2005 Germany World Cup.

As a result, Manager Moreno has recorded two wins, one draw, and two losses across five matches, from the match against Ecuador in September to this recent game against Saudi Arabia.

This defeat against Saudi Arabia is a painful blow for Manager Moreno. Since taking over as interim head coach in September, Moreno had achieved two wins, one draw, and one loss in four friendly matches held domestically in September and October.

The start was promising. He secured a 3-0 comprehensive victory in his debut match against Ecuador on September 24.

However, he suffered a devastating defeat in the second match. In the game against Uruguay on the 28th, the team collapsed helplessly with a 1-4 loss, exposing defensive instability. Following this, in the October A-matches, after drawing 0-0 with Venezuela, they turned the momentum around by defeating Uzbekistan 2-0 on the 6th.

Yet, he suffered a fatal defeat right before his contract expired. In their first away friendly in the Middle East against Saudi Arabia—one of their biggest rivals on the Asian stage and the host nation for next year's Asian Cup—the team left much to be desired in both performance and result. After conceding the opening goal in stoppage time of the first half, they equalized with a goal by Oh Hyeon-gyu in the second minute of the second half, but collapsed after consecutive goals conceded in the 11th and 14th minutes of the second half. Although Lee Jae-sung scored a chasing goal in the 23rd minute of the second half to narrow the gap to one goal, they ultimately failed to turn the game around.

To make matters worse, external variables related to tournament schedules are also holding Manager Moreno back. When the Korea Football Association signed a contract with Manager Moreno in September, it stipulated that he would lead six A-matches from September to November, with an option to extend the contract until the Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia next January, based on an evaluation of match results and coaching ability. The 2027 Asian Cup was originally scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5 next year.

However, the AFC recently abruptly postponed the 2027 Asian Cup by 11 months, moving it from December 23 next year to January 21, 2028, citing deteriorating Middle East geopolitical tensions and security concerns surrounding Saudi Arabia, completely turning the situation upside down.

With the Asian Cup postponed to the end of next year, the very premise for a contract extension has become unstable. Maintaining an interim system for about two months until next January is a completely different matter from entrusting the helm for over a year until the end of next year. While it was previously speculated that the interim head coach contract might be extended due to the pressure of the original January opening schedule, the Korea Football Association has gained greater justification to pivot toward appointing a permanent head coach now that they have secured a one-year buffer. Manager Moreno himself had expressed a cautious stance regarding the possibility of an Asian Cup postponement at the press conference announcing the November A-match roster on the 29th of last month, stating, "It is something we cannot control," and adding, "If the situation actually occurs, we will seek solutions."

The only remaining opportunity for Manager Moreno, whose contract expires at the end of this month, is the final friendly match of the year against Qatar, to be held in Doha at 11:00 p.m. on the 17th. With a question mark now raised over his coaching ability due to the defeat against Saudi Arabia, compounded by the variable of the confirmed December postponement of the Asian Cup, the outcome of the match against Qatar is expected to determine whether Manager Moreno and South Korean football will continue their journey together.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original