Team Korea coach pleased with defensive effort in friendly loss to Austria

Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo gives instructions to his players during a friendly football match against Austria at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, March 31. Yonhap

Even after his players suffered their second straight loss in a World Cup tuneup match, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo noted the team's overall growth and stronger defensive effort in particular.

South Korea dropped to Austria 1-0 in Vienna on Tuesday and finished their European trip with two straight losses. The Taegeuk Warriors endured a 4-0 defeat against Ivory Coast last Saturday near London.

Hong argued South Korea still played "a good game against a quality opponent" in Austria and praised their bounceback after a lopsided loss only a few days earlier.

"The way we conceded the goal was disappointing, but that's what these friendly matches are for. We get to identify our shortcomings, and we will address them as we get ready for the World Cup," Hong said at his post-match press conference. "We will pore over all the data we have on our hands to prepare for the World Cup."

Hong also defended his continued deployment of the back-three formation, with three center backs flanked by wingbacks who are responsible for pushing forward in attack but also for retreating to create a defensive line of five when the other team has the ball. This arrangement is often used by teams looking to outnumber their opponents on defense and to create quick transition opportunities.

In the years before Hong took over in 2024, South Korea had almost exclusively used a back-four setup.

"Our players have been playing in the back-four formation for a long time, but we've all seen that we can't afford to take just one set of tactics to the World Cup," Hong said. "There will be difficulties along the way, but it's important to make sure the players will gain more confidence with the back-three formation. I think we had a good performance today in that regard.

"Over the course of a match, we have to constantly switch between having four backs or five backs," the coach continued. "The players have to develop an understanding of this, and I think they showed it well today."

Hong noted that his three center backs, Kim Min-jae flanked by Lee Han-beom and Kim Ju-sung, did a much better job defending the opposing attack with aggression and also covering space in their own zone against "a really well-organized" Austrian team.

"We saw a great deal of growth for our team but also saw problems that we have to fix," Hong added. "We will keep a close tab on our players' form with their clubs in May. We confirmed once again during this trip that those who play well in their leagues can bring that over to the national team."