South Korea defeated El Salvador 1-0 in their final World Cup friendly on Wednesday at their training base in Utah. Lee Dong-gyeong scored the decisive goal early in the second half, securing South Korea’s second consecutive win ahead of the tournament starting next week.
Lee Dong-gyeong scored 10 minutes into the second half to secure South Korea’s 1-0 win over El Salvador on Wednesday at their training base in Utah. This victory marks South Korea’s second consecutive friendly win ahead of the World Cup, following a 5-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago last week.
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo acknowledged offensive difficulties early in the match but emphasized the value of the game for player development. “I think our players must have learned a great deal today by playing this type of team,” he said.
South Korea is drawn in Group A alongside the Czech Republic, South Africa, and co-host Mexico. Their tournament campaign begins against the Czech Republic in Guadalajara on June 11.
Captain Son Heung-min started the match on the bench and came on five minutes after Lee’s goal. Son, 33, has faced questions over his form this season, having scored twice for Los Angeles FC, but he has netted twice in recent friendlies for South Korea, bringing his international goal tally to 56 in 144 appearances—just two goals shy of Cha Bum-kun’s national record.
Defender Cho Wi-je made his senior debut as a second-half substitute. Cho was called into the World Cup squad following an injury to Cho Yu-min earlier this week. Coach Hong praised his performance, stating, “He helped the team tremendously.”
За матеріалами: South Korea secure narrow victory over El Salvador ahead of World Cup
