Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC), the captain of the national soccer team, flew, and strikers Cho Kyu-.. – MK

사진 확대 Son Heung-min scored the first goal in a warm-up match against Trinidad and Tobago and is performing a ceremony. Yonhap News Agency
Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC), the captain of the national soccer team, flew, and strikers Cho Kyu-sung (Mit Willan) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) also helped. The South Korean national soccer team, ahead of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup finals, won a great victory by setting off a goal firecracker in an exhibition match against Trinidad and Tobago.
South Korea, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, beat Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in the warm-up match at Brigham Young University Southfield in Provo, Utah on the 31st (Korea time). South Korea, which lost in both A matches held in March, was in the mood by winning the warm-up match ahead of the first group match of the North Korea-China World Cup finals on the 12th.
South Korea is holding a pre-training camp in Salt Lake City, the U.S., which is 1,460 meters above sea level, located on the highlands of Guadalajara, Mexico, where the first and second group games of the World Cup finals will be held. Against Trinidad and Tobago, Hong brought up a three-back defense and a 3-4-2-1 tactic to put Son Heung-min as one-top. On the day, Son Heung-min played 13 times instead of his usual number 7. In order to confuse the analysis of the power of the rival countries in Group A of the North-China U.S. World Cup, which includes South Korea, the national team gave a different number instead of the existing number.
South Korea, which showed a frustrating attack flow until the middle of the first half, changed its mood with the first goal from Son Heung-min’s toe in the 40th minute of the first half. Son Heung-min, who was rushing to the gate with a low pass from the right side of Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), opened the goal by scoring a right-footed shot.
Son Heung-min, who scored in the A-match for the first time in six months since November last year, scored a penalty three minutes later to complete the multi-goal (2 goals per game). Son Heung-min, who added two goals on the day, scored a total of 56 goals in the A match, which is close to the record of the most goals scored (58 goals) by South Korean players held by former coach Cha Bum-keun.
In the second half, the strikers, who were replaced, cheered up. Cho Kyu-sung received Lee Dong-kyung’s cross with his head in the 20th minute of the second half, and Hwang Hee-chan sealed the match with a penalty goal in the 30th minute of the second half. Cho Kyu-sung received Seol Young-woo’s pass in the 32nd minute of the second half and scored his second personal goal with a right-footed shot.
The national team showed off its firepower at a stadium located on the highlands on the day, raising expectations for the finals. In particular, the “water replenishment rest” situation, which was first introduced at this competition, was also well utilized. Water replenishment breaks provide players with water intake and physical recovery time after stopping the game for three minutes each after 22 minutes in the first and second half, excluding halftime. Coach Hong actively communicated with the players during the break during the first half and delivered the game strategy, and the national team, which raised the offensive tempo, finished the first half with two goals.
Coach Hong said after the game, “The operation went well in the form of the tactics we prepared. Son Heung-min and Cho Kyu-sung’s goals are very welcome to the national team,” he said. Son Heung-min, who recently washed away his goal drought, said, “This victory will help the players find confidence,” but emphasized his composure, saying, “I will prepare for the tournament without getting excited when I win and sinking when I lose.”
Although South Korea won a great victory in the game, midfielder Bae Joon-ho and defender Cho Yoo-min were replaced by injuries during the second half of the day, and the injury warning was issued ahead of the World Cup finals. South Korea will play its last warm-up match before the World Cup finals against El Salvador on the 4th.
[Reporter Kim Jihan]