"Son Heung-min and Cho Gyu-sung Score Twice Each as Korea Thrash Trinidad and Tobago 5-0"

Son Heung-min Scores 56th Goal for the National Team
Final Friendly Match Against El Salvador on the 4th

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myungbo, secured a dominant 5-0 victory in a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago on the 31st (Korean time). Son Heungmin scored two goals in the first half, and Cho Guesung added two more in the second half, leading the team to a decisive win.

Hong Myungbo’s squad overwhelmed Trinidad and Tobago with two goals in the first half and three in the second, during the friendly at South Field, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA. Son Heungmin now has 56 career goals for the national team, closing the gap to just two goals behind former head coach Cha Bumkun, the all-time top scorer.

Head coach Hong Myungbo deployed a 3-4-3 formation, using Son Heungmin as the central forward. Bae Junho (Stoke City) and Lee Donggyeong (Ulsan) supported Son as second-line attackers. Kim Jingyu (Jeonbuk) and Baek Seungho (Birmingham City) were positioned in midfield, with Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach) and Kim Moonhwan (Daejeon) as left and right wingbacks. The three-man defense consisted of Lee Gihyeok (Gangwon), Cho Yumin (Sharjah), and Lee Hanbeom (Midtjylland), with Jo Hyeonwoo (Ulsan) guarding the goal.

Son Heungmin scored his second goal with a penalty kick in the friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago held on the 31st (Korean time) at South Field, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA. Photo by Yonhap News

The first shot from Son Heungmin came in the 6th minute of the first half. After drawing a foul at the top of the arc, Son took the free kick himself, but the ball deflected off a defender and bounced away.

The flow of the match was stagnant after that. South Korea dominated the attack but struggled to create decisive scoring opportunities.

Kim Moonhwan delivered a sharp cross that connected to Baek Seungho, who had made a run into the penalty box. His header was on target but went straight at the goalkeeper.

The first goal came from Son Heungmin in the 39th minute of the first half. Kim Jingyu lofted a clever pass that broke through the defensive line and found Kim Moonhwan. Kim calmly delivered a low pass to Son, who was making a run into the center of the box. Son slotted the ball with the inside of his right foot, and it deflected off the opposing goalkeeper into the net.

Immediately following the goal, Bae Junho earned a penalty inside the box. Son Heungmin converted the penalty to make it 2-0.

South Korea maintained 67% possession in the first half, dictating the pace. They registered seven shots, with three on target. Trinidad and Tobago managed just one shot, none of which were on target.

At the start of the second half, Lee Jaesung came on to replace Kim Jingyu. In the 9th minute of the second half, Park Jinseop was substituted in for the injured Cho Yumin.

In the 10th minute of the second half, Son Heungmin broke down the left flank and unleashed a powerful shot, but the opposing goalkeeper made the save. In the 12th minute, Son curled a left-footed shot from outside the right side of the penalty box towards the center, but the ball unfortunately struck the goalpost and bounced out.

In the 15th minute of the second half, Bae Junho was brought down by a rough tackle, prompting head coach Hong Myungbo to make several substitutions. Hwang Heechan, Eom Jiseong, Kim Minjae, Seol Youngwoo, and Cho Guesung came on, while Castrop, Baek Seungho, Bae Junho, Son Heungmin, and Lee Hanbeom were taken off.

Kyo-su Cho is cheering after scoring his team's third goal in the friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago held on the 31st (Korean time) at South Field, Brigham Young University located in Provo, Utah, USA. Photo by Yonhap News

Five minutes later, South Korea scored their third goal. A brilliant pass from Hwang Inbeom resulted in a goal. Hwang, positioned near the center circle, received a pass from Kim Minjae and, with a one-touch pass, delivered a sharp through ball to the right flank. Lee Donggyeong, after collecting the ball, quickly sent in a cross into the box, which Cho Guesung headed into the net.

In the 30th minute of the second half, Hwang Heechan successfully converted a penalty kick. Eom Jiseong aggressively pressed the opposing goalkeeper, drawing a foul and winning the penalty.

Two minutes later, Cho Guesung scored again. A miscommunication between the opposing goalkeeper and defender led to a loose ball in the box, which Seol Youngwoo calmly passed to Cho, who slotted it home.

Hong Myungbo’s squad is scheduled to play another friendly match against El Salvador on the 4th, before moving to the final host city, Guadalajara, Mexico, on the 5th. The team will play their opening group stage match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup against Czechia at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara at 11 a.m. on June 12.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.