Moreno apologizes to fans as Korea soundly defeated 4-1 by Uruguay in friendly

Son Heung-min could not hide his disappointment after Korea’s 4-1 loss to Uruguay, saying “the match showed why Uruguay are such a strong team,” while interim manager Robert Moreno apologized to fans for the heavy defeat.

Korea conceded three goals in the first half in a 4-1 friendly loss to Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Monday.

The match was the second of four international friendlies scheduled for September and October. Moreno opened his tenure with a 3-0 victory over Ecuador on Thursday, but Uruguay provided a far tougher test. Uruguay, ranked No. 20 in the FIFA rankings, also extended their dominant head-to-head record against No. 32 Korea to eight wins, two draws and one loss.

“It’s extremely disappointing, and part of me still doesn’t want to accept the result, but this is also part of football,” Son told reporters after Monday's match. “Above all, our opponents put in a good performance.”

Son added that the defeat served as a reminder to remain grounded.

“Winning lifts a player’s spirits, but today reminded me that those are exactly the moments when I, first and foremost, need to approach football with humility,” Son said.

Moreno said he “first want to apologize to the fans,” at a post-match press conference, adding the fans had no reason to accept such a result.

He noted that Uruguay scored four times despite having fewer shots and less time of possession, while Korea showed more of the football it wanted to play after halftime.

Moreno said Korea struggled with its tactical approach in the first half. The team tried to push its fullbacks forward and build through the middle, but Uruguay’s aggressive press disrupted the plan and left Korea vulnerable when it lost possession.

“We identified problems with the way we were playing in the first half, but unfortunately we recognized them a little too late and the gap had already grown,” Moreno said.

Korea changed its positioning and approach after the break and made four substitutions, one more than initially planned after a player experienced discomfort in his leg.

Moreno said the substitutes responded well to the changes and that Korea created opportunities to reduce the deficit. He accepted responsibility for the defeat and said the team would work to prevent a repeat.

Moreno again deployed a 4-4-2 formation against Uruguay, with Son paired with Oh Hyeon-gyu up front. Lee Kang-in, who sat out the Ecuador match to manage his condition, started on one wing with Hwang Hee-chan on the other.

The lineup appeared markedly more attack-minded than the conservative approach Korea had employed at the FIFA World Cup 2026, but the team struggled to cope with Uruguay’s aggressive pressing and counterattacks.

Korea’s defense was breached in the 13th minute when a through ball following Uruguay’s press found Darwin Núñez, who scored the opener.

Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who had assisted Núñez's opener, doubled Uruguay’s lead with a long-range strike in the 27th minute.

Korea fell three goals behind in the 43rd minute. Uruguay fullback Guillermo Varela surged forward into space behind the Korean defense, and his shot deflected off Kim Min-jae and went in for an own goal.

Substitute winger Kim Min-su tried to shift the momentum after the break with a long-range effort and defensive work. But Korea conceded again in the 62nd minute after failing to stop another cross from Varela, leaving Núñez unmarked to head home his second goal.

Núñez had gone 17 consecutive internationals without scoring before netting twice against Korea. Uruguay, led by interim manager Diego Forlán, had lost 3-1 to Japan in a friendly on Thursday.

Moreno defended his use of the 4-4-2 formation during the match, saying he does not adhere to a single formation and adjusts his setup depending on the opponent and match situation. Korea also shifted into a different shape when attacking, he said.

Moreno said the team should not rigidly stick to a formation, but its underlying philosophy and principles should remain firm. Changing them whenever difficulties arise could send a negative message to the players, he added.

Korea finally found the net in the 80th minute, although exactly who scored remains in dispute.

Lee sent a cross in from the right and Son stretched out a foot as the ball went into the net. FIFA’s website credited the goal to Lee, while the Korea Football Association said it was Son’s goal.

If officially credited to Son, it would give him 58 international goals, tying Cha Bum-kun’s record for the most goals for the Korean national team.

Son, however, said he did not feel he had touched the ball.

“Kang-in put in the cross as I was making my run, but I didn’t feel the ball touch me,” Son said. “There are situations during a match when it’s difficult to know exactly what happened. If it had touched me, I definitely would have felt it, but I did not have such a feeling. If it ends up being recorded as my goal, I think I would feel uncomfortable about it, because it wasn’t my goal.”

Son also played down the significance of determining who should be credited with the goal given the result.

“But I don’t think what matters right now is arguing over whose goal it was,” Son said. “We lost the match by a big margin.”

Son added he believes the defeat could ultimately help Korea, saying “if the problems are clearly visible, that can actually be a good thing” as the team looks for areas to improve.

Moreno, who is serving as interim manager, has four more internationals through November. Whether he remains in charge through the Asian Cup in January will be decided based on the team’s results and performances.

Korea next faces Venezuela in a friendly in Ulsan on Friday.

BY PARK LIN, PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]