South Korea 1-4 Uruguay: Núñez double gives Bielsa a ruthless win in Seoul
Uruguay left Seoul World Cup Stadium on September 28 with the result and the message. South Korea had more of the ball, more shots, more corners and more passes. Uruguay had Darwin Núñez, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and a far colder edge in both boxes.
Final score: South Korea 1-4 Uruguay.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side were direct, sharp and brutally efficient in a friendly that became uncomfortable quickly for Myung-Bo Hong. South Korea pushed the tempo, finished with 59% possession and produced 14 shots, but Uruguay scored in the 13th minute and the 27th minute, benefited from Kim Min-jae’s own goal in the 43rd minute, then struck again in the 62nd minute. Son Heung-min’s goal in the 80th minute, assisted by Kang-in Lee, gave the home crowd something to hold on to. It did not change the story.
The match turned early
Uruguay’s plan was clear. Bielsa set them up in a 4-2-3-1, with Cristopher Fiermarín in goal, Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araújo, Mathías Olivera and Joaquín Piquerez across the back, Lucas Torreira and Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield, Brian Rodríguez, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Maximiliano Araújo behind Darwin Núñez.
South Korea, under Myung-Bo Hong, were listed without an official formation in the lineup data. Their XI was Kim Seung-gyu, Seol Young-woo, Lee Han-beom, Kim Min-jae, Lee Tae-seok, Lee Kang-in, Kim Bong-soo, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Son Heung-min.
The first cut came in the 13th minute. Darwin Núñez scored for Uruguay, assisted by Giorgian de Arrascaeta. That was the moment the game tilted. South Korea wanted control through Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung, but Uruguay were happy to wait for the clean moment and then attack with speed.
Ronald Araújo was booked in the 22nd minute for an argument, the only yellow card recorded in the match data, but Uruguay did not lose their discipline. Five minutes later, in the 27th minute, de Arrascaeta scored Uruguay’s second, assisted by Maximiliano Araújo. One goal, one assist, and the No. 10 had already defined the rhythm of the night.
Then came the blow before half-time. Kim Min-jae’s own goal in the 43rd minute made it 0-3. For South Korea, it was more than a scoreline problem. It exposed the gap between possession and protection. They were building, but not secure. They were passing, but not hurting Uruguay enough.
Hong changed four at the break
Myung-Bo Hong acted immediately. In the 46th minute, South Korea made four changes: Min-su Kim came on for Lee Tae-seok, Hyun-taek Cho replaced Kim Bong-soo, Park Jin-seop came on for Hwang Hee-chan, and Kim Tae-hyeon replaced Kim Min-jae.
The changes gave South Korea more legs and more direct running. Min-su Kim, in particular, brought energy, finishing with two shots, one on target, four successful dribbles from seven attempts and five duels won. Lee Kang-in kept demanding the ball and ended with three key passes, two shots and the assist for Son Heung-min.
But Uruguay still had the cleaner punch.
In the 62nd minute, Núñez scored again, this time assisted by Guillermo Varela. It was Uruguay’s fourth and Núñez’s second. His numbers matched the eye: two shots on target, two goals, 16 duels contested and seven won. He did not need volume. He needed moments.
South Korea went back to the bench in the 72nd minute, with Park Tae-jun on for Seol Young-woo, Choi Jun on for Lee Jae-sung and Oh Se-hun on for Oh Hyeon-gyu. Uruguay then replaced Giorgian de Arrascaeta with Rodrigo Zalazar in the 77th minute.
Son Heung-min finally scored in the 80th minute, assisted by Lee Kang-in. It was the right combination for South Korea, captain and creator, and it underlined where the home side’s best football came from. One minute later, Cho Wi-je replaced Lee Han-beom in the 81st minute. Uruguay made their final recorded change in the 86th minute, with Rodrigo Aguirre replacing Darwin Núñez.
Why Uruguay won
Uruguay won because they were decisive. De Arrascaeta found the final action early, Núñez finished his chances, and Varela’s contribution from right-back mattered at both ends. Behind them, Torreira gave Bielsa what he usually demands from that position: pressure, ball-winning and simple distribution. He finished with five tackles and 62 passes.
Cristopher Fiermarín also changed the feel of the match. South Korea had seven shots on goal, and he made six saves. That is not a small detail in a 4-1 away win. Without his work, South Korea’s possession and late pressure might have made the final half-hour awkward.
For South Korea, Son Heung-min remained the main reference point and finished with the goal, three key passes and the team’s best player rating. Lee Kang-in was the other clear positive, creative even when the match had run away. Oh Hyeon-gyu also forced action with four shots on target before coming off in the 72nd minute.
The issue was not effort. It was balance. South Korea completed 567 accurate passes at 89%, but Uruguay kept finding better value from fewer attacks.
Match statistics
| Statistic | South Korea | Uruguay |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 7 | 4 |
| Total shots | 14 | 9 |
| Shots inside box | 6 | 5 |
| Shots outside box | 8 | 4 |
| Possession | 59% | 41% |
| Corner kicks | 7 | 1 |
| Fouls | 7 | 9 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 1 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 1 | 6 |
| Total passes | 636 | 443 |
| Accurate passes | 567 | 375 |
| Pass accuracy | 89% | 85% |
Goals and major incidents
- 13th minute: Darwin Núñez scored for Uruguay, assisted by Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
- 22nd minute: Ronald Araújo was booked for Uruguay.
- 27th minute: Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored for Uruguay, assisted by Maximiliano Araújo.
- 43rd minute: Kim Min-jae scored an own goal.
- 46th minute: South Korea made four changes: Min-su Kim for Lee Tae-seok, Hyun-taek Cho for Kim Bong-soo, Park Jin-seop for Hwang Hee-chan, and Kim Tae-hyeon for Kim Min-jae.
- 62nd minute: Darwin Núñez scored for Uruguay, assisted by Guillermo Varela.
- 72nd minute: South Korea made three changes: Park Tae-jun for Seol Young-woo, Choi Jun for Lee Jae-sung, and Oh Se-hun for Oh Hyeon-gyu.
- 77th minute: Rodrigo Zalazar replaced Giorgian de Arrascaeta for Uruguay.
- 80th minute: Son Heung-min scored for South Korea, assisted by Lee Kang-in.
- 81st minute: Cho Wi-je replaced Lee Han-beom for South Korea.
- 86th minute: Rodrigo Aguirre replaced Darwin Núñez for Uruguay.
Starting XIs
South Korea, coach: Myung-Bo Hong, formation: not listed in the official lineup data
Kim Seung-gyu; Seol Young-woo, Lee Han-beom, Kim Min-jae, Lee Tae-seok; Lee Kang-in, Kim Bong-soo, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan; Oh Hyeon-gyu, Son Heung-min.
Uruguay, coach: Marcelo Bielsa, formation: 4-2-3-1
Cristopher Fiermarín; Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araújo, Mathías Olivera, Joaquín Piquerez; Lucas Torreira, Rodrigo Bentancur; Brian Rodríguez, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Maximiliano Araújo; Darwin Núñez.
What it means
For Uruguay, this was a friendly with value. Bielsa got a clinical away performance, a strong Núñez display, de Arrascaeta decisive between the lines and Fiermarín excellent in goal. That is a strong package before the next international window.
For South Korea, the concern is obvious. Hong has elite attacking pieces in Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, plus useful depth shown by Min-su Kim, but the defensive spacing and transition control need urgent work. The score was heavy because Uruguay punished almost every opening.
