South Korea defeats T&T
South Korea Defeat Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in Utah Friendly
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Men’s National Team went down 5-0 to FIFA World Cup-bound South Korea in an international friendly at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah on Saturday night.
South Korea Captain Son Heung-min scored twice in the first half before Hwang Hee-chan and substitute Cho Gue-sung, who added a brace of his own, completed the scoring for the Asian side in front of an estimated crowd of 3,400 spectators, the vast majority of whom were South Korean supporters with about twenty T&T fans in the stands.
For T&T , the fixture represented a valuable opportunity against a nation ranked 25th in the world and preparing for the FIFA World Cup. The Warriors, ranked 102nd by FIFA, arrived in Utah on Thursday morning with the foreign-based contingent joining the camp that same day, allowing Head Coach Derek King just two training sessions with the full squad ahead of the match.
The team’s first session was held on Thursday, while Friday’s final preparation took place in cold, wet and windy conditions under consistent rainfall.
With the match being played outside the FIFA international window, T&T were also without several regular players unavailable for club commitments.
The contest also saw international debuts handed to midfielder Ali Kazim Nakhid, goalkeeper Teshorne Ragoo, defender Jacob Greene and Scotland-based defender Kieran Ngwenya.
T&T, with 22-year-old Kobi Henry skippered the side, defended resolutely for the opening half hour and managed to maintain its shape against a technically sound South Korean side. However, the Koreans gradually increased the pressure and created several opportunities. On 31 minutes they went close when Paik Seung-ho’s header, set up by Kim Moon-hwan’s cross, was turned away by goalkeeper Jabari Brice.
They would eventually break the deadlock in the 40th minute through Son on a play that appeared offside by a fair margin.
The South Korean captain added a second from the penalty spot three minutes later after Dante Sealy was adjudged to have fouled Bae Jun-ho inside the area.
South Korea continued to dominate possession after the break and extended their advantage through Cho Gue-sung in the 65th minute. Hwang Hee-chan converted a penalty in the 75th minute before Cho added his second two minutes later to complete the scoring.
Trinidad and Tobago’s best opportunity came in the first half when New York Red Bulls striker Roald Mitchell forced a save from the South Korean goalkeeper with a well-struck effort.
The match marked the first meeting between the two nations since a 1-1 draw in Seoul in 2004.
Following the victory, Son praised his team’s response after consecutive defeats in March and urged supporters not to take the result for granted.
“I think our confidence may have been low after losing twice in March, and we will try to build on this and keep the momentum going,” Son told reporters after the match.
“Regardless of opponents, it’s not easy to win 5-0. I hope people don’t take this for granted. The players deserve credit, and I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
The two goals moved Son to 56 international goals for South Korea, just two shy of the national men’s all-time scoring record held by Cha Bum-kun. However, the forward insisted that personal milestones remain secondary to team success.
“It’s more important for me to play well for the team, and it doesn’t always have to be about scoring goals,” Son added.
“Making sacrifices for the team and doing whatever the team needs is my favourite thing to do, something that I’ve valued more than anything throughout my career.”
T&T head coach Derek King acknowledged the quality of the opposition but said the experience would be valuable for the continued development of the squad.
“We knew we were coming up against a very strong team that is preparing for a World Cup and has players competing at some of the highest levels of the game. The scoreline is disappointing, but there are lessons that we must take from this experience.”
King pointed to the limited preparation time and the number of new players integrated into the squad.
“We had players arriving on Thursday and had two sessions together before facing a team of South Korea’s quality. We also gave opportunities to several players making their international debuts, and these are experiences that will help them understand the demands of international football.”
He praised the team’s commitment despite the result.
“For the first 30 minutes we were organised and disciplined, but against top opposition you have to maintain that concentration for the full match. We saw areas where we need to improve, particularly in possession and decision-making under pressure, but there were also positives in terms of attitude, effort and the willingness of the players to compete.”
King added that the encounter provided a clear benchmark for the younger members of the squad.
“These are the types of matches that show players the level required to compete internationally. It is all part of the growth process. We will review the performance, learn from it and continue working to build a stronger national team moving forward.”
South Korea, who are preparing for the FIFA World Cup, will next face El Salvador in Utah, while Trinidad and Tobago will now shift focus to the friendly away to Russia on June 9th.
