The emotions of fans who witnessed the failure of 'Hong Myung-bo' and longed for change and development in Korean soccer through 'Morenojo' turned into disappointment and neglect due to the continued lack of success.
Now, the Taegeuk Warriors, who are preparing for the second game of a two-game away game in November and the last A match in 2026, desperately need an exciting victory based on 'efficient pressure and sophisticated set play' to change the hearts of the cold fans.
The Korean national soccer team (ranked 32nd), led by coach Robert Moreno, will play a friendly match against Qatar, ranked 60th in the FIFA rankings, at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 11 p.m. on the 17th (Korean time).
As Hong Myung-Boho was disbanded after being eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, Korean soccer recruited Spanish coach Moreno as temporary head coach and took over the baton for four consecutive international matches in September and October and two consecutive international matches in November.
Fans were hoping to see a change in the Taegeuk Warriors in Moreno Lake, but as the game continues, expectations are gradually turning into disappointment.
Morenojo, who had 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss (3-0 win against Ecuador, 1-4 loss against Uruguay, 0-0 draw against Venezuela, and 2-0 win against Uzbekistan) in 4 consecutive international matches in September and October, was not a bad result in terms of numbers, but he carried out 'colorless and odorless' tactics by sticking only to 'Plan A', which relies on key overseas players without 'Plan B'.
As a 'temporary head coach', Coach Moreno was in charge of 4 consecutive international matches in September and October and 2 consecutive international matches in November, and attempted to 'convert to a regular position' based on the results and contents of the 6 games, so he had no choice but to seek stability instead of taking risks.
However, as the Asian Cup, which was the prerequisite for 'conversion to full-time employment', has been postponed for nearly a year from January to December next year due to political instability in the Middle East, the future of Coach Moreno, whose contract ends on the 27th, is uncertain.
For the Taegeuk Warriors, the competition for starting positions has weakened due to the postponement of the Asian Cup, so it is actually difficult to motivate themselves for the two-game international match in November.
Meanwhile, Morenojo had a disappointing result, losing 2-3 against Saudi Arabia (55th) on the 13th in the first game of a two-game international match in November.
The always-pointed-out pressure from the front that wastes stamina without efficiency and the absence of elaborate set plays that disturb the defense led to repeated situations where the team was in a hurry to chase the opponent without being able to dominate them throughout the game.
After the game against Saudi Arabia, Coach Moreno acknowledged the complete defeat, saying, "We gave up goals easily and made mistakes that should not have been made at the national team level. There were enough opportunities to score that could have at least resulted in a draw, but we did not get the result."
In addition, even Son Heung-min (LAFC), who holds the record for the most appearances and the most goals (59 goals in 152 games) for a male player in Korean soccer history, made the mistake of sending a shot into the air at a no-mark opportunity right before the goal, putting Morenojo in a total mess.
For this reason, Coach Moreno and the 26 Taegeuk Warriors took on the task of repaying the fans with a victory as the Qatar match was the last evaluation match of the year.
Korea is ahead of Qatar in its previous record with 6 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses, but it desperately needs a win as it has bitter memories of failing to challenge for the championship after losing 0-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup.
We are also looking forward to the revival of Son Heung-min, who unfortunately missed scoring against Saudi Arabia.
Son Heung-min, who scored a free kick against Uzbekistan in September, scored his 59th goal in his 151st appearance in international matches, breaking the record for most goals by a Korean male in international matches, which he shared with former coach Cha Bum-geun (58 goals in 136 games).
Fans sincerely hope that Son Heung-min achieves a milestone by scoring his 60th goal in the last international match of the year.
In addition, it is noteworthy that Hwang Hee-chan, who helped Lee Jae-seong (Mainz) score in the match against Saudi Arabia, scored two goals each against Qatar along with Son Heung-min, showing the aspect of the 'Qatar Killer'.
Fans are paying attention to whether Coach Moreno, who declared after the game against Saudi Arabia, "We need to improve in all areas. We need to allow fewer opportunities to the opponent, and our defense also needs to improve," will be able to come up with a 'sure-win strategy' to defeat Qatar.
