Provo: South Korea edged out El Salvador 1-0 on Wednesday in their final friendly match before the upcoming FIFA World Cup, as they enter the big tournament on the heels of two straight victories. Midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong curled home a free kick in the 57th minute of the match at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, marking South Korea's only goal of the match.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea previously defeated Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 on Saturday. The Taegeuk Warriors will now travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, to establish their World Cup base camp. South Korea is set to play all three of their Group A matches in Mexico - two in Guadalajara and one in Monterrey. Their first match will be against Czechia at 8 p.m. on June 11 (local time) at Estadio Guadalajara, or 11 a.m. on June 12 (South Korean time).
Head coach Hong Myung-bo made comprehensive changes to his starting lineup from the one fielded against Trinidad and Tobago, introducing eight new players. Defenders Lee Gi-hyuk and Lee Han-beom, along with winger Lee Dong-gyeong, were the only three to start consecutively. Despite the changes, the new players struggled with ball control in their own zone early in the match, which led to several counter-attacks by El Salvador.
South Korea finally broke the deadlock with a set piece in the second half when Lee Dong-gyeong scored his fourth international goal, finding the top right corner with a left-footed shot from just outside the box. In a strategic move, Hong made eight substitutions shortly after the hour mark, bringing on captain Son Heung-min and playmaker Lee Kang-in, who added vigor to the offense. However, South Korea ended the match with a modest one-goal victory.
South Korea, ranked 25th in the world, enjoyed a significant possession advantage of 71-29 over 100th-ranked El Salvador. The team also outshot their opponents 6-0 and had a 14-3 advantage in shot attempts.