21 hours ago
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Senior Multimedia Reporter
Derek King marked his official debut as T&T senior men’s football team head coach with a 5-0 defeat at the hands of FIFA World Cup-bound South Korea in an international friendly at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, on Saturday night.
For the 25th world-ranked South Koreans, captain Son Heung-min scored twice in the first half before Hwang Hee-chan and substitute Cho Gue-sung, with a second-half brace, completed the scoring for the Asian side in front of an estimated crowd of 3,400 spectators, the vast majority of whom were South Korean supporters.
For the 102nd world ranked T&T who had two full training sessions under coach since arriving in Utah on Thursday, the fixture represented a valuable opportunity against a team preparing for the FIFA World Cup Group A matches against Mexico, South Africa and Czechia.
South Korea almost took the lead in the eighth-minute when a right-sided cross into the 18-yard box was deflected onto his own crossbar by T&T debutant defender Kieran Ngwenya.
Otherwise, led by 22-year-old Kobi Henry of the USA’s Real Monarchs, T&T defended resolutely for the opening 30 minutes and managed to maintain its shape against a technically sound South Korean side that attacked mostly down the right flank.
T&T’s best opportunity came within a minute when midfielder Molik Khan won the ball and sent New York Red Bulls striker Roald Mitchell on his way from just over the half-line, but just as he unleashed his right-footed effort at South Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon Woo, defender. Han-Beom Lee slid in with a timely intervention to block out the attempt.
However, the Koreans gradually increased the pressure and created several opportunities, and in the 31st minute they went close when Paik Seung-ho’s header, set up by Kim Moon-Hwan’s cross, was turned away by a point-blank save from goalkeeper Jabari Brice.
Nine minutes later the South Koreans eventually broke the deadlock through Los Angeles FC striker Son, 33 close range tap in off a feed from right winger Kim Moon-Hwan who looked to collect a pass in a clear offside position.
And three minutes later, Son, formerly of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur, added a second from the penalty spot after T&T’s Dante Sealy of Colorado Rapids’ needless tackle on Bae Jun-ho inside the area for a 2-0 half-time lead.
On the resumption, South Korea continued to dominate possession, with Bae Jun-ho forcing Brice into a first-post save in the 54th minute before they finally extended their advantage to 3-0 through Cho Gue-sung in the 65th minute off an assist by Lee Dong-gyeong.
Substitute Hwang Hee-chan, who replaced Jens Castrop in the 61st minute, then added to the tally when he slotted home their second award penalty of the match in the 75th minute after substitute T&T goalkeeper Tehsorne Ragoo on debut mistimed a clearance from a pass back by Henry and clipped
Ji-sung Eom, before Cho added his second two minutes later after some sloppy defending from T&T to complete the scoring on an assist from substitute Young-woo Seol.
In addition to Ragoo and Ngwenya, midfielder Ali Kazim Nakhid, the son of former national captain David Nakhid, and defender Jacob Greene all made their debut for T&T.
The loss against the Asians comes on the heels of defeats against Venezuela (4-1) and Gabon (3-2 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw in the FIFA Series in Uzbekistan in March, both with King as interim coach, and extends T&T’s winless run to seven matches, dating back to the 3-0 win over Bermuda in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers on October 10, 2025.
South Korea, who are preparing for the FIFA World Cup, will next face El Salvador in Utah, while T&T faces Russia, 1-0 losers to Egypt on Thursday last, in another away friendly international on Tuesday, June 9.
Result
South Korea 5 (Son Heung-min 40th, 43rd pen, Hwang Hee-chan 75th pen, Gue-sung Cho 65th, 77th, vs T&T 0
T&T
1. Jabari Brice (GK) (21. Teshorne Ragoo 69th), 2. Deron Payne (5. Jaylen Yearwood 69th), 3. Kobi Henry, 4. Kieran Ngwenya, 23. Noah Powder (20. Kaihim Thomas 84th), 8. Daniel Phillips, 11. Judah Garcia (16. Jacob Greene 60th, 17. Michel Poon-Angeron (12. Ali Kazim Nakhid 69th), 15. Dante Sealy (13. Jaheim Faustin 69th), 18. Molik Khan (14. John-Paul Rochford 60th), 19. Roald Mitchell (Isaiah Lee 60th).
Subs not used: 7. Shervohnez Hamilton, 6. Anthony Herbert, 9. Daniel David.
South Korea
21. Jo Hyeon Woo (GK), 5. Han-Beom Lee (19. Hwang In-beom 62nd), 9. Lee Gi Hyuk. 10. Yu Min Cho (Jin-seob Park 54th), 15. Kim Moon-hwan (3. Gue-sung Cho 61st), 17. Jens Castrop (26. Hwang Hee-chan 61st), 6. Jin-gyu Kim (14. Jae-seung Lee 46th), 20. Lee Dong Gyeong, 22. Seung Ho Paik (23. Ji-sung Eom 61st) , 25. Bae Jun-Ho (16. Kim Min-jae 62nd), 13. Son Heung Min (8. Young-woo Seol 62nd),
Subs not sued: 12. Kim eung-gyu, 1. Song Bum-Keun, 2. Kim Tae-hyeon, 18. Wi-je Cho, 24. Kang Sang-Yun. 7. Lee Tae-seok, 11. Yang Hyun-Jun.
English (US) ·