South Korea thrashes Ecuador in debut of new coaches

The match between South Korea and Ecuador, played on Thursday (the 24th) at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, generated a lot of buzz, especially because of the Asian side's 3‑0 rout. The encounter marked the start of a new cycle for both national teams, with the debut of new coaches after the World Cup.

South Korea’s new cycle

The South Korean national team began its post‑World Cup journey under Spanish coach Robert Moreno. The country had come out of a World Cup campaign that was considered a domestic disaster, exiting at the group stage. The situation even became a matter of state, with criticism from President Lee Jae‑myung and a formal request for an investigation by the Korean Football Association (KFA) into issues such as sports planning and decision‑making processes. Former coach Hong Myung‑bo even received death threats.

Robert Moreno, whose résumé includes stints as an assistant at Barcelona and as interim coach of the Spanish national team from March to November 2019, was hired to raise the level of the “Asian Tigers” for the cycle aimed at the 2030 World Cup. South Korea’s lineup for the match featured Kim Seung‑Gyu; Seol Young‑Woo, Kim Min‑Jae, Lee Han‑Beom and Lee Tae‑Seok; Hwang In‑Beom, Paik Seung‑Ho, Lee Kang‑In and Hwang Hee‑Chan; Son Heung‑min and Oh Hyeon‑Gyu.

Marcelo Gallardo’s debut with Ecuador

On the South American side, Ecuador also entered a new phase with the debut of Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo. The Ecuadorian team had been eliminated in the round of 16 at the World Cup by Mexico, which led to the departure of Argentine Sebastián Beccacecce. Gallardo, who is closely identified with River Plate, takes charge of “La Tri” in his first national‑team job and his first assignment after completing his second stint at River, which was marked by modest results. The main goal is to return to the 2030 World Cup.

For the match, Ecuador lined up Valle; Preciado, Félix Torres, Pacho and Estupiñán; Alan Franco, Vite and Alcívar; Yeboah, Angulo and Jordy Caicedo. Players such as Keny Arroyo of Cruzeiro and Alan Franco, Alan Minda and Angelo Preciado of Atlético took the field for Ecuador. Arroyo even started, delivering a modest performance before being substituted at the 66‑minute mark.

The game and the goals

The fixture, which was Ecuador’s first post‑World Cup game, was not a positive one for “La Tri”. All three South Korean goals came in the second half. Oh Hyeon‑gyu opened the scoring for the Koreans after nine minutes. Shortly after, Son Heung‑min, the Korean star, added the second goal around the 13‑14 minute mark. In the final minutes of the match, Lee Dong‑gyeong netted the third goal at the 41st minute of the second half, sealing a 3‑0 victory.

Upcoming challenges for the teams

After the match, both sides already have fixtures scheduled. Ecuador, under Marcelo Gallardo, will face Japan again on October 1, Thursday, at 7:10 a.m. (Brasília time) in Yokohama. Four days later, in Tokyo, the Ecuadorian team will conclude its Asian tour against Panama or New Zealand. South Korea will take on Uruguay next Monday (the 28th) at 8:00 a.m. (Brasília time) and Venezuela on Friday (the 2nd), also at 8:00 a.m. (Brasília time).

Information sourced from Terra, Rádio Itatiaia, No Ataque.