The South Korea national soccer team lost against Austria
- Woojin Nam
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
Apr 1, 2026
Woojin Nam
Korea's soccer nation team played their last A match before the 2026 World Cup with Austria. The team Korea lost the previous game against Ivory Coast which was 4-0. The biggest problem was organizational skill of defense and a decisive mistake from players. Korea had put forward a 3 back strategy, whereas this tactic exposed weak defense. After losing this game, Head coach Hong Myung Bo said that he will not give up his three back tactics, but trim several details for better performance. He also mentioned that his team has failed to make opportunities as a goal, and defense showed lack of experience in 1 vs 1 situations.
On April 1st, the Korean national soccer team played against Austria. Austria’s FIFA ranking is 24th. They have strength in fast and organized pressure. Surprisingly, it is the first time that Austria and Korea have met. Different from the previous game, team Korea put Son Heung min, Lee kang in, and Lee Jae sung as a starting player. Team Korea also sustained their tactic as three back. Although they put these players, they still exposed problems in finishing. Team Korea made good opportunities in the first half, but it didn’t lead to a goal. However, the flow of the game has changed from Marcel Sabitzer’s nonstop shot. It was Austria’s first shots on target and it led to goal. By the end of the game, the score had not been changed, and finished with Austria's win.
By losing two games in a row, Korea’s 2026 World cup’s prospect seems to be uncertain. Criticism has become bigger toward Hong myung bo due to his strategy which doesn’t promote both defense and offense. The national Korea soccer team will be dismissed and they will be assembled on May 18th for World cup final call up training.
