Seoul: With the next FIFA World Cup only a few months away, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Thursday the upcoming friendly match against Brazil will be an important test. The Taegeuk Warriors will take on world No. 6 Brazil at 8 p.m. Friday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. It will be South Korea’s first match of 2025 against a top-10 opponent.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea have managed just one win in eight meetings against Brazil so far and will go into Friday’s match as an underdog. But Hong said his players will be ready to give all they have in front of home supporters. “I think it’s a great opportunity to test ourselves against a strong opponent,” Hong said at his prematch press conference at the stadium. “It’s difficult to predict the match’s result, but our players are in great form at the moment.”
After Brazil, South Korea will play Paraguay next Tuesday, also in Seoul. They will then play two more friendlies in November, and the next international window won’t be until March next year. “We will only get to play a few matches before the World Cup,” Hong said. “To make the most of these opportunities, it’s more important to learn from our matches than just try to get the results. It will be a tough challenge for us, but we will do our best.”
Hong said he will continue to experiment with a back-three formation, with three center backs handling the main defensive duties and two wingbacks flanking them on either side. “I am sticking with the back-three system because I think our center backs today are more talented than defenders that came before them,” said Hong, a defender during his playing days. “And these players have adjusted to the new formation much more quickly than I’d anticipated. I will try to bring out the best in them.”
Hong’s captain, Son Heung-min, is poised to break a tie with Hong and former striker Cha Bum-kun for the most caps in the men’s national team history in Friday’s match. Son tied the two with his 136th appearance last month against Mexico. “Son Heung-min and I are tied at the moment, but I think what he has done is really impressive because he has had to travel long distances every time,” Hong said of Son, who has spent the bulk of his club career in Europe. “I’d like to congratulate him from the bottom of my heart, and I expect him to have a good match tomorrow. I hope he breaks all the other records I have.”