South Korea's national football team, under coach Roberto Moreno, concluded their October international matches with a 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan on October 6 at Yongin Mir Stadium. This win was highlighted by Son Heung-min's record-setting 59th international goal and an additional goal from Oh Se-hoon.
After a 3-0 win against Ecuador, the team faced a 4-1 loss to Uruguay and a 0-0 draw with Venezuela. With this latest result, Moreno's squad finished the four-match stretch with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. The all-time record against Uzbekistan now stands at 12 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss.
In a 4-4-2 formation, Son Heung-min, who started alongside Oh Se-hoon as a forward, scored the opening goal in the 6th minute. Taking a free kick, he struck the ball low with his right foot into the bottom corner of the net.
This goal marked Son's 59th in his 151st international match, making him the all-time leading scorer for South Korea's men's national team. He had previously tied with former coach Cha Bum-kun (58 goals in 136 matches) after scoring in the match against Uruguay on September 28.
Following the opening goal, South Korea ceded control to Uzbekistan, facing several threats as they struggled in midfield. However, goalkeeper Jo Hyun-woo (Ulsan Hyundai) maintained a clean sheet, keeping the score at 1-0.
At the start of the second half, Moreno substituted in Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) for Hwang In-beom (Porto) and Song Min-kyu (Nacional). Despite these changes, South Korea continued to struggle for control. In the 57th minute, Uzbekistan threatened with a bicycle kick from Mozgovoy and a long-range shot from Hamrobekov, both of which were saved by Jo.
South Korea secured a valuable second goal in the 60th minute. After receiving a pass from Hwang In-beom on the right, Song Min-kyu delivered a cross into the penalty area, where Oh Se-hoon finished with a header.
Moreno made a quadruple substitution in the 71st minute, replacing Son Heung-min and Oh Se-hoon among others. South Korea held off Uzbekistan's late pressure to finish the match without conceding a goal.
Despite losing possession (46% to 54%) and shots (10 to 12), South Korea had more shots on target, with 6 compared to Uzbekistan's 4.
Having completed their final domestic friendly of the year, Moreno's team is now preparing for two away matches in November, with the locations and opponents yet to be determined.
Moreno's contract runs until November 27. After the remaining two matches, he will be evaluated by the Korea Football Association, which will determine whether he will continue to lead the team into the AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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