Triumphant premiere of Robert Moreno

Robert Moreno’s debut at the head of the South Korean national team was a success, undisputed winner for 3-0 against Ecuadorwhich he dominated and defeated without nuances, with a recognizable high press from the beginning, tactical rigor, ambition, good football, with a great goal from Son Heung Min and, above all, punch.

Until the 60th minute, when they were already losing 2-0, the new team of Ecuador’s Argentine Marcelo Gallardo did not finish on goal. An undoubted setback and a failed test for the ‘Tri’, from which more is expected, perhaps it is just a matter of adaptation and time. His tour of Asia is just his new coach’s first contact with a team that he must build and strengthen in his own way. This is what the current FIFA date is for.

But, in any case, Ecuador’s impression in this Thursday’s friendly was disappointing. From the beginning he felt overwhelmed by the high pressure with which he prepared Robert Moreno to his new team. The Spanish coach, named South Korea’s coach through open recruitment by the country’s Federation, was also making his debut with his team, but he did give it a more convincing tone.

South Korea was better throughout the first hour of an intense match. The debut of the benches gave a more than competitive aspect to the duel. Everyone wanted to convince. An opportunity in the new era that is approaching in their respective teams. After half an hour, for example, there were already four reprimands. Unheard of in a friendly. Three from Ecuador (Porozo, Arroyo and Jordy Caicedo) for one from South Korea (Park Jin-seob), also due to the rigor of the Chinese referee Shen Yinhao. There were more cards.

No one shot on target in the first half, but the South Korean second’s first shot was a goal. A lucky long shot from Oh-Hyeung-Gyu that ended up inside Galíndez’s goal due to the rebound in Porozo that surpassed his half-time shot. It was the 54th minute. The beginning of the end for Ecuador, as Son Heung Mjin later confirmed.

Already removed from the spotlight of football at the highest European level, the Champions League and the English ‘Premier League’, Son Heung Min maintains all his technical splendor and his extraordinary ball-striking. The South Korean captain did not hesitate for a single second, from the moment he placed the ball. He knew what he was going to do, even if there wasn’t much of an angle, posing for the goal was too daring or his shot had to be perfect.

The parabola with the right was, direct to the other squad, surpassing the goalkeeper Galíndez and the barrier, with a devilish descent of the ball to end up in the net to the astonishment of everyone. The 2-0 for South Korea, the apotheosis in the Suwon World Cup stadium. At that time, Ecuador had not even finished between the three sticks.

Yes, he did it later, at the time of the crash, and even more so with a shot against the post still twenty minutes from the end. It was a late reaction, nothing out of this world, without as much punch as what his rival had shown in the initial stretch of the second half. And it was even worse for Ecuador, when Lee Dong, recently introduced, took advantage of the imbalances at the back to make it 3-0.

Technical sheet:

3 – South Korea: Kim Seung-Guy; Seol Young-Woo, Lee Han-Beom (Lee Tae-Seok, min. 65), Kim Min-Jae (Cho Wi-Je, min. 75), Cho Hyun-Taek (Kim Tae-Hyeron, min. 65); Jung Seung-Won, Lee Jae-Sung, Park Jin-Seop (Hwang-Hee Chan, min. 65), Song Min-Gyu (Kim Minsu, min. 75); They are Heung-Min (Lee Dong, min. 75) and Oh Hyun-Gyu (Oh Se Hun, min. 75). Coach: Robert Moreno (ESP).

0 – Ecuador: Galíndez; Preciado, Porozo, Pacho, Estupiñán; Vite (Castillo, min. 66), Franco; Arroyo (Mercado, min. 66), Yeboah Zamora, N. Angulo (Valencia, min. 74); and Jordy Caicedo (J. Anulo, min. 66). Coach: Marcelo Gallardo (ARG).

Goals: 1-0, min. 54: Oh Hyun-Gyu. 2-0, min. 58: Son Heung-Min. 3-0, min. 86: Lee Dong.

Referee: Shen Yinhao (China). He gave a yellow card to the South Koreans Park Jin-seop (min. 15), Lee Han-beom (min. 45) and Jung Seung-won (min. 47) and the Ecuadorians Porozo (min. 10), Arroyo (min. 21), Caicedo (min. 32) and Estupiñán (min. 45).

Incidents: friendly match, played at the Suwon World Cup stadium in front of about 40,000 spectators. EFE

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