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Three-back approach flops in friendly clobbering by Brazil

Published: 12 Oct. 2025, 18:06

Korean national team manager Hong Myung-bo, right, instructs his players during a friendly against Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Oct. 10. [YONHAP]

While Korean national team manager Hong Myung-bo’s three-back experiment showed potential in earlier matches against the United States and Mexico, it completely fell apart against Brazil, exposing Korea’s defensive vulnerabilities.

Korea suffered a 5-0 loss to Brazil in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday. Unlike the 2022 World Cup round of 16 match where Korea conceded four goals but at least pulled one back, this time the team sat in a deeper defensive formation yet still failed to withstand Brazil’s pace and precision. Korea managed little in the way of coherent buildup or attacking threat.

Hong had previously deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation with encouraging results — a win and a draw — against the United States and Mexico last month.

The formation, which relies on three central defenders and wingbacks who drop deep to form a back five when defending, resembles tactical patterns seen in European clubs under managers like Xabi Alonso. Those systems often shift between 3-2-4-1 when attacking and 5-4-1 when defending.

Against Brazil, Korea started in a 5-4-1 to increase defensive numbers. But the approach quickly proved ineffective. In the second goal alone, nine Korean players were inside the penalty box, yet Rodrygo navigated through them with ease. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti noted afterward that the defensive spacing was stretched.

The attacking trio of Rodrygo, Vinícius and Estêvão repeatedly isolated Korea’s back line, forcing rushed back-passes. Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo often had no option but to clear long. Although Korea looked to launch counterattacks with long balls, Son Heung-min was left isolated up front.

Lee Tae-seok struggled against Estêvão’s one-on-one ability on the left flank, while midfielder Paik Seung-ho could not keep up with Brazil’s pressing intensity.

“It was tough to watch,” former national team regular pick Lee Chun-soo said. “The players looked outmatched, and the physical difference was obvious.”

A coach with experience in the K League acknowledged the talent gap between the two teams.

“When you face a team like Brazil, with over 1.5 trillion won [$1 billion] in market value, individual quality will show,” the coach said. “Before conceding the first goal, Son and Lee Jae-sung were pressing well. But Cho Yu-min needed to step up into midfield to give us an extra body. Against a team this skilled, even half a second of hesitation can cost you.

Korea's Lee Kang-in, left, reacts during a friendly against Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Oct. 10. [KFA]

“Once we went behind, we should’ve brought on Oh Hyeon-gyu at the start of the second half and shifted to a more aggressive 4-2-3-1. It was clear the original plan wasn’t working.”

Still, the coach cautioned against overreaction.

“Losing to Brazil doesn’t mean we should abandon the three-back entirely. We’ve only used it in three matches with the European-based players available. What matters now is learning from this game and deciding whether to use it as Plan A or B, depending on our World Cup opponents.”

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just eight months away, Korea is likely to face at least one top-tier opponent in the group stage. The team will need better organization, quicker transitions and the ability to adjust tactics. Son, who now holds Korea’s all-time international appearance record with 137 caps, emphasized the need for resilience.

“We don’t have time to stay down,” he said after Friday's match. “We need to face these top teams, fall down and learn how to get back up.”

Korea will play Paraguay on Tuesday, again at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Korea, ranked No. 23 in FIFA's rankings, must win to stay in contention for Pot 2 in the World Cup draw. A loss could open the door for teams like Australia or Ecuador to overtake them.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]