Coach says S. Korea must improve 'in every aspect' following loss to Saudi Arabia

Al Rayyan, Qatar — Robert Moreno, the interim head coach of South Korea's national football team, acknowledged on Friday that the team must improve in every aspect following their 3-2 loss to Saudi Arabia in a recent friendly match. The South Korean side suffered their first defeat against Saudi Arabia in over 21 years at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, located just west of Doha. Three different Saudi Arabian players scored the goals, with Oh Hyeon-gyu and Lee Jae-sung each netting a goal in the second half.

Despite scoring two goals of their own in the second half, Moreno's record with the Taegeuk Warriors remains poor since he assumed the caretaker manager role in September. The team has now amassed two wins, one draw, and two losses under his management. Moreno expressed his disappointment at a post-match press conference, stating, "We wanted to deliver a win for our fans and this was a disappointing outcome."

He further commented, "I think the players in particular must have wanted to prove that they had truly become a team, but we fell short."

Moreno also criticized several defensive breakdowns in the loss, admitting that the team made mistakes that should not occur at national team level and conceded easy goals. He concluded, "I think we had enough support from our fans, but it's clear that we need to work on our weaknesses and strengthen our performance."