South Korea vs Paraguay
South Korea are in the midst of a mini-drought after qualifying for next year’s World Cup not too long ago, and they plan to end it when they host Paraguay for their next International Friendly at the Seoul World Cup Stadium this Monday evening.
The Taeguk Warriors are off to an embarrassing start this October international break, as they lost 5-0 against Brazil yesterday. But according to the latest International Friendly 2025 odds, beating Paraguay is more attainable for Hong Myung-Bo’s men.
On the other hand, Paraguay almost defeated Japan but were held to a 2-2 draw after conceding a late equaliser. Like South Korea, Paraguay also qualified for next year’s World Cup after taking the sixth and final spot during the CONMEBOL qualifiers (28 points), and Gustavo Alfaro’s men will use this time to build some momentum.
Without further ado, here’s today’s match preview, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Son stands alone in South Korea’s all-time list
Son Heung-Min started and played the full match against Brazil to mark his 137th cap for South Korea. With this, he surpassed Cha Bum-Kun and his coach, Hong Myung-Bo, to become the sole leader in most appearances for the national team. The LAFC winger’s first international appearance was a match against Poland in December 2010, when he was 18 years old.
Unfortunately for Son, he didn’t have a great performance against the Samba Boys, whose defenders, such as Gabriel and Eder Militao, were hellbent on keeping him in check. The Tottenham legend couldn’t create anything in the final third and only touched the ball inside the box twice out of his 29 total touches. Son also attempted one dribble but failed, and he was badly outmatched in his ground duels (25-per cent, 1-for-4). His pass completion rate was the lone bright spot at 86-per cent (18-for-21).
Fellow attackers Lee Jae-Sung, Hwang In-Beom, Paik Seung-Ho, Lee Kang-In, Lee Dong-Gyeong, and newcomer Jens Castrop didn’t fare well either, while Hwang Hee-Chan was frozen to the bench.
Kim Min-Jae must also do better after an up-and-down performance at the back against Brazil. After an encouraging first half, the Bayern Munich centre-back had a costly momentary lapse that gifted Estevao’s second goal in the 47th minute. Kim also received a yellow card for his challenge on Matheus Cunha in the first half, but at least he’s in better physical condition, according to his manager.
Paraguay have quality all around
Paraguay had to settle for a draw after conceding a stoppage-time goal from Ayase Ueda after leading 2-1 for most of the second half.
La Albirroja controlled the early flow of the match, as Miguel Almiron scored the match’s first goal after receiving a precise pass from Damian Bobadilla. However, Koki Ogawa made it 1-1 in the 26th minute via a counterattack. Paraguay regained the lead in the second half, as Diego Gomez rippled the net, before Ueda’s late score.
Despite the draw, Gustavo Alfaro’s side has reasons to be confident because they have a stronger roster on paper compared to before. Almiron and Gomez showed their quality in the final third, while Antonio Sanabria has yet to go off. Omar Alderete is becoming a household name at Sunderland, while La Albirroja have yet to unleash Manchester United’s Diego Leon.
In other International Friendly 2025 news, skipper Gustavo Gomez will make his 85th international appearance against South Korea, which would make him the eighth-most capped player in La Albirroja history, alongside Celso Ayala.
History
Monday marks only the ninth competitive meeting between South Korea and Paraguay, and their last five have been international friendlies. The Taeguk Warriors have the slight advantage in the overall head-to-heads with three wins, while La Albirroja have two wins and three draws. South Korea are undefeated in their last six after dropping their first two encounters with Paraguay in 1986, including a 2-2 draw last June 2022, as Son Heung-Min and Jung Woo-Young’s late goals cancelled out Miguel Almiron’s brace.
South Korea are regulars in the World Cup, having qualified every time since 1986. During the previous edition in 2022, the Taeguk Warriors reached the Round of 16 but lost 4-1 to Brazil. Their best run in the quadrennial tournament was finishing fourth, which they achieved as co-hosts in 2002.
Meanwhile, Paraguay are back in the World Cup after missing out on the last three editions. La Albirroja are also automatically qualified for the 2030 edition as commemorative match hosts. Their best run in the showpiece event was in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals, eliminating Japan in the Round of 16.
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