South Korea hosts Uzbekistan with memories of a 4-0 rout

South Korea hosts Uzbekistan at Yongin Citizen Sports Park in an International Friendly, and although there are no league points or stage positions on the line, the match serves as a gauge for two national teams testing options ahead of their upcoming commitments. The most recent meeting between the two sides ended in a rout: the only time they faced off, South Korea won 4-0.

Robert Moreno's side arrives with a mixed record in its friendlies this season: of three matches played, it won one, drew one and lost the other, with 4 goals scored and 4 conceded. The recent form isn't much to celebrate either, with one win, one draw and three losses in its last five matches. As context (not to be combined with the figures above), in its 2026 home friendlies South Korea averages 1.33 goals scored and 1.33 conceded per match, with a 67% clean sheet rate in that sample, and tends to do damage between the 46th and 60th minutes. Son Heung-Min stands out as the team's top offensive threat in that same sample, with two goals.

Uzbekistan, with Fabio Cannavaro in charge, arrives in an unusual situation: in its friendlies this season the team has played just one match, but won it, with 3 goals scored and 1 conceded. The recent form tells a different story, though, with four losses and just one win in its last five matches. In that single 2026 sample (playing both home and away), Uzbekistan averaged 3 goals scored and 1 conceded, with no clean sheets, and its most productive stretch came at the start of the match, between minute 0 and 15. Eldor Shomurodov was the standout name with two goals in that sample.

Possible Lineups

For South Korea, the projected lineup has Kim Seung-Gyu in goal, a back line of Seol Young-Woo, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Han-Beom, Lee Tae-Seok and Lee Gi-Hyuk, a midfield of Lee Kang-In, Hwang In-Beom and Lee Jae-Sung, and a front two of Son Heung-Min and Oh Hyeon-Gyu. This lineup is projected from recent matches, not confirmed.

Uzbekistan, for its part, could field a back line of Abdukodir Khusanov, Sherzod Nasrullaev, Rustam Ashurmatov, Bekhruz Karimov and Jakhongir Urozov, a crowded midfield of Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Otabek Shukurov, Akmal Mozgovoy, Odiljon Khamrobekov and Aziz G'aniev, and Eldor Shomurodov as the lone forward. This is also a projected lineup, not an official one.

What Do the Numbers Say?

Our model projects a close match, with a slight edge for the home side:

Expected goals also point to a lively scoreline: 1.76 for South Korea against 1.28 for Uzbekistan, a projected total of 3.04. These figures come from our own model, not betting odds, and with the draw just one percentage point behind the away win, there's no clear favorite on paper.

With the head to head history so favorable to the home side and both national teams looking to build rhythm ahead of what's next, the match in Yongin promises back and forth minutes rather than a preseason formality.