YONGIN — South Korea secured a 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan in an international friendly match on October 6 at the Yongin Mir Stadium, powered by Son Heung-min's historic 59th international goal.

Under head coach Robert Moreno, South Korea wrapped up their September and October friendlies with a record of 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. The Moreno era began with a 3-0 win against Ecuador, followed by a heavy 1-4 defeat to Uruguay and a lackluster 0-0 draw with Venezuela, before bouncing back with a solid win against Uzbekistan.

Tactical Lineup and Early Breakthrough

South Korea deployed a 4-4-2 formation. Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD) guarded the goal behind a back four of Kim Tae-hyun (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Lee Han-beom (Club Brugge), Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), and Cho Hyun-taek (Ulsan HD).

The midfield featured Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Park Jin-seop (Zhejiang FC), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05), and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04). Son Heung-min (LAFC) paired with Oh Se-hun (Shimizu S-Pulse) up front.

The Taeguk Warriors drew first blood early in the match. In the 6th minute, Hwang Hee-chan drew a handball foul just outside the penalty arc. Son Heung-min stepped up and drilled a low, penetrating free-kick into the back of the net to give South Korea a 1-0 lead.

With this strike, Son netted his 59th goal in his 151st appearance for the national team, surpassing legendary former manager Cha Bum-kun (136 matches, 58 goals) to become the all-time leading scorer in South Korean men's international football history.

Maintaining Control to Seal Victory

Uzbekistan immediately sought to counter. In the 14th minute, Akmal Mozgovoy delivered a sharp through ball to Dostonbek Hamdamov, who finished the chance, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Hamdamov threatened again in the 34th minute with a powerful left-footed shot, but goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo came up with a crucial save to preserve the 1-0 lead into halftime.

South Korea made tactical adjustments at the start of the second half, bringing on Song Min-kyu (CD Nacional) and Hwang In-beom (FC Porto).

With Hwang stabilizing the midfield and increasing possession, South Korea doubled their lead in the 15th minute of the second half. Hwang broke down the right flank and fed the ball forward, allowing Song Min-kyu to whip in a high cross that Oh Se-hun powerfully headed home, making it 2-0.

Holding a comfortable lead, South Korea made a flurry of substitutions in the 26th minute, resting key starters by introducing Lee Dong-kyung (Ulsan), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas JK), Jung Seung-won (FC Seoul), and Kim Bong-soo (Daejeon Hana Citizen).

Despite allowing a few threatening moments from Uzbekistan down the stretch, Cho Hyun-woo and the defense held firm to complete a clean-sheet victory.

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