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World Cup tune-ups prove need for new battle plan as Taeguk Warriors fall 1-0 to Austria

Published: 01 Apr. 2026, 17:29 Updated: 01 Apr. 2026, 18:06

The Korean national team reacts during a friendly against Austria at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Austria on March 31. [YONHAP]

The contrasting fortunes of Asia's two most dominant football nations were on clear display Tuesday, with Korea losing 1-0 to Austria while rivals Japan beat England 1-0 as all four sides wrapped up their tune-ups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With manager Hong Myung-bo gearing up for his second World Cup at the helm, the Taeguk Warriors appeared disjointed and uninspired at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria.

The side dropped deep with a 3-4-3 formation and looked to counterattack, but struggled during build-up play and looked shaky in defense, much like they did during a 4-0 loss to the Ivory Coast on Saturday.

Son Heung-min, who started on the bench against the African side, had a chance in the 16th minute, picking up a through ball from Lee Han-beom midway up Austria's half and breaking toward goal on the left flank, but shanked it well wide of the target.

Korea managed to create more chances in the first half, but failing to convert those chances proved to be fatal in the second half, with a lack of cohesion in counterattacks punished by a Marcel Sabitzer goal in the 48th minute.

The Warriors nearly pulled one back, with Oh Hyeon-gyu, coming on for Son in the 83rd minute, almost immediately finding himself in the box with the ball to rip a rocket low on frame that goalkeeper Patrick Pentz was unable to hold, and the ball rolled toward the goal before the Brondby netminder scrambled back to pounce on it mere feet from the goal line.

Over at Wembley Stadium in London, Japan became the first Asian team to beat England thanks to a winner from Kaoru Mitoma in the 23rd minute.

The Brighton & Hove Albion man squeezed the ball in to cap a counterattack that demonstrated the Samurai Blue's sharp build-up and attacking play.

Japan extended their winning streak to five matches with Tuesday's victory, while also recording four straight clean sheets.

The Japanese national team celebrates after a 1-0 win over England at Wembley Stadium in London on March 31. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Having ended their run in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, Japan will head to the 2026 edition on the back of wins against some of the tournament favorites, with a 3-2 victory over Brazil in October of last year and Tuesday's win over England.

Korea, in contrast, have struggled to showcase their best performance. The country salvaged two wins in November of last year — a 2-0 win over Bolivia and a 1-0 win against Ghana — but suffered two losses during the March international break on top of a 5-0 loss to Brazil in October of last year.

“The sad reality is that we don’t have anything of our own at this point,” commentator and 2014 World Cup veteran Lee Keun-ho said on Tuesday. “We need a clear Plan A with less than three months before the World Cup, but it still feels like we are searching."

Some analysts say Korea should consider switching to the more familiar four-back system, as players continue to struggle with the three-back setup.

“We need to think about what suits us best,” commentator Jang Ji-hyun said. “We should keep challenging ourselves and consider changes until the end."

Korea will face the Czech Republic, South Africa and Mexico in Group A of the expanded 48-team World Cup. The top two teams from the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams will reach the 32-team knockout stage.

Korea reached the knockout stage of the World Cup three times — in 2002, 2010 and 2022 — with the semifinal run on home turf in 2002 the best result yet.

Manager Hong will be hoping for better results than his 2014 tournament, when he recorded one draw and two losses, failing to progress out of the group.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]