Cho Hyun-taek, a 25-year-old defender, right, kicks a ball during a friendly against Uzbekistan in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 6.NEWS1
Korea finished its four September and October friendlies with a mixed record — two wins, one draw and one loss — under interim Spaniard coach Robert Moreno. After routing Ecuador 3-0, Korea faltered in a 4-1 loss to Uruguay and a scoreless draw with Venezuela but recovered to defeat Uzbekistan 2-0.
Amid the uneven performances, Korea found reasons for optimism: 25-year-old defender Cho Hyun-taek and 27-year-old midfielder Song Min-kyu.
Cho of Ulsan HD offered fresh hope at left-back, a position that has long troubled the national team. Song of C.D. Nacional also recorded two assists after 18 months away from the national team.
Korea conceded just one goal in the 280 minutes Cho played across the four matches. The contrast was particularly stark against Uruguay on Sept. 28, when Korea conceded three first-half goals while Cho was on the bench. He entered at halftime, and the difference in defensive stability was hard to miss.
Against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, Cho showed both grit and versatility. A clash of heads with an opponent did not stop him from playing all 90 minutes. He finished with seven clearances, including six headers, and even threatened at the other end with a powerful strike in the 30th minute.
Cho played as if it were his last match, and his all-out effort earned him Man of the Match honors. His powerful, adventurous style, reminiscent of his role model Andrew Robertson, has made him a potential answer to Korea's longstanding shortage of quality left-backs.
Korean midfielder Song Min-kyu, right, chases a ball during a friendly against Ecuador in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 24.NEWS1
Further forward, Song showed how much he could offer despite playing in only two of Korea's four matches. He provided two assists, first with an instinctive one-touch pass that set up forward Oh Hyeon-gyu against Ecuador on Sept. 24. Against Uzbekistan, he entered as a second-half substitute, broke down the right wing and sent in an accurate cross that forward Oh Se-hun headed into the net.
Song apparently fit well into Moreno's 4-4-2 system. The formation refers to a football formation with four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards. Other common formations include 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1.
As Korea builds toward the Asian Cup in January next year, Cho's fierce commitment and Song's tactical selflessness represent two important discoveries. Both earned recognition through their performances rather than their reputations, and their emergence has brought renewed competition to the national team's starting lineup.
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.
