South Korea beats Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in Provo friendly
south korea beat Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 on the 31st at South Field of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in a friendly that doubled as Hong Myung-bo’s first live test before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Son Heung-min, Cho Gue-sung and Hwang Hee-chan all scored as Hong used a modified 3-4-2-1 shape built around a back three.
The scoreline gave South Korea a clear result, but the more specific read came from the structure behind it. Hong started Lee Ki-hyeok, Cho You-min and Lee Han-beom in the back line, with Lee operating as the left stopper for the full 90 minutes.
Lee Ki-hyeok in Hong's back three
Lee’s role carried the night’s most closely watched individual test. SofaScore credited him with 95% pass accuracy, with 69 completed passes from 73 attempts, plus a 92% pass success rate in the opponent’s half and a 100% success rate in his own half.
He also finished with one successful tackle, two clearances and two cover actions. Hong said after the match, “Lee Ki-hyeok's performance was excellent, even though it was essentially his A-match debut.”
South Korea's first mock exam
The match mattered because it was South Korea’s first mock exam before the World Cup, and Hong used it to see how the team handled a defensive setup that moved between a back five and a 4-2-3-1 shape. That put Lee, Cho You-min and Lee Han-beom under direct review while the forwards attacked from a system that had more room than a rigid defensive plan usually allows.
Lee’s route to the squad also added another layer to the test. He made his debut for the Seong In team in the Hong Kong match of the East Asian Cup last summer, had no connection with the Han Dong-an team until this season, and earned his call-up after his performances for Gangwon this season. Hong had already described him in a squad announcement as “Lee Ki-hyeok is a versatile player capable of playing both as a midfielder and a full-back.”
Gangwon and the 2026 FIFA World Cup
For South Korea, the 5-0 result sits alongside the individual audit of Lee Ki-hyeok rather than replacing it. Son, Cho Gue-sung and Hwang gave the team a comfortable attacking return, while Hong left with a first look at whether the back-three plan can survive against stronger opposition than Trinidad and Tobago.
The next firm reference point is the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad work Hong is already using these matches to shape, with Lee’s full 90 minutes against Trinidad and Tobago now part of that selection picture.
