What is Robert Moreno’s record in his first four matches as Korea’s interim coach?

Robert Moreno’s Korea side beat Ecuador 3-0, lost 4-1 to Uruguay, drew 0-0 with Venezuela and defeated Uzbekistan 2-0. The article says the team showed more energy, tactical flexibility and communication than before.

When will Korea decide whether Robert Moreno remains coach for the Asian Cup?

Korea is scheduled to play two more matches in November, although the games had not yet been confirmed. After those matches, officials will decide whether Moreno continues into the Asian Cup in January and beyond.

Why are there concerns about divisions within Korea’s national football team?

Reports said Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom were ready to retire from international football. Kim criticized the team’s defensive effort after the Venezuela match, saying it did not feel as though everyone was fighting together, while Hwang In-beom reportedly expressed a similar view.

More questions than answers for Korea

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Summary

Korea earned two wins, one loss and one draw in Robert Moreno’s first four matches as interim head coach, but questions remain over his future and reported divisions within the team. Moreno’s contract includes two more games in November, after which officials will decide whether he continues through the Asian Cup. Son Heung-min scored against Uzbekistan to become Korea’s leading international scorer with 59 goals. Reports that Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom considered international retirement have added uncertainty.

Key Facts

Korea’s four-match record under Moreno was a 3-0 win over Ecuador, a 4-1 loss to Uruguay, a 0-0 draw with Venezuela and a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan.
Moreno’s initial contract covers two additional games in November, which had not yet been confirmed when the article was written.
Son Heung-min surpassed Cha Bum-keun by scoring his 59th goal for Korea against Uzbekistan.
Kim Min-jae said Korea’s defenders were not all fighting together because attacking players were not contributing enough defensively.
Kim Min-jae plays for Bayern Munich, while the article identifies Lee Kang-in as a Paris Saint-Germain player during the previous Asian Cup incident.

By John Duerden

Published Oct 8, 2026 2:07 pm KST

A friendly match between Korea and Uzbekistan was held at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

There were never going to be too many questions answered in four games. If this was a league season, it would still be very early but Korea’s interim head coach Robert Moreno has now had two thirds of the games in his initial contract. There are two more games to go in November yet to be confirmed, and the decision will then be made whether Moreno will continue into the Asian Cup in January and beyond.

It wasn’t all about the results but it is worth a look. It started with a 3-0 win over Ecuador, then there was a 4-1 loss at the hands of Uruguay, a 0-0 draw against Venezuela and then, on Tuesday, a 2-0 victory against Uzbekistan.

At the basic level, Moreno, who has a mixed resume, brought improvements. The team's performance had more energy, more tactical flexibility and, it seemed, more communication. It should be remembered, however, that the bar was very low.

The two-year tenure of Hong Myung-bo started badly and took a turn for the worse, ending with a disastrous World Cup showing. The images of Hong sitting passively as the games in Mexico went poorly for Korea will remain for a long time. Moreno was a more active presence, in terms of how he moved on the sidelines and tried to find solutions on the field.

There was another cause for celebration. Son Heung-min scored the opening goal against Uzbekistan to take his international tally to 59. That is now the highest ever by a Korean player, overtaking the legendary Cha Bum-keun, who retired from the national team after the 1986 World Cup.

"It is not just the goals that are important. Every moment I have spent with the national team has been precious," Son said. "I don't know how much longer I will get to do this. But whenever I put the national team shirt on, I will do the best I can and make our fans proud."

The international window could have ended on a relative high. A win over an Asian rival, a coach who looks like he has some ideas and a huge desire to prove himself. Yet a shadow lingers. There are reports and rumors of factions forming within the team. Go back to the last Asian Cup and there was a physical altercation between Son and Lee Kang-in, then of Paris Saint-Germain.

After Korea's win over Uzbekistan, there were reports again that three senior players, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom, were ready to retire from the national team. It would be a worrying development in its own right and deal a huge blow in terms of the stature and importance of the trio to the team.

Kim is a defender for Bayern Munich and hugely influential. He is also unhappy as he said after the Venezuela game. “I feel sorry for the defenders,” Kim said. "It didn't feel like we were all fighting together," in regards to attacking players not helping out enough.

These are serious comments. Hwang In-beom said something similar. It seems as if Korea Football Association officials persuaded the trio to reconsider, but it remains to be seen if the divisions have been healed. Things are never simple in Korean football.

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