International Friendly: Samba Boys Visit Super Son in Seoul

Korea Republic vs Brazil

South Korea and Brazil will both continue their preparations for World Cup 2022 when they meet for an international friendly at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The South Koreans, led by Premier League Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min, will be keen to bounce back after losing their final qualifying match away to the UAE.

As for Brazil, they are coming off an impressive undefeated qualifying campaign and are looking like one of the teams to beat in Qatar.

With a number of Liverpool and Real Madrid players in the squad unlikely to feature after just playing in the Champions League final, Tite will likely give some other Samba Boys a chance to impress as competition for places in his final squad heats up.

Talking Points

South Korea look to bounce back from loss

South Korea will head into this friendly with Brazil on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat away to the UAE in their final qualifying match. The Taeguk Warriors still went through, but they dropped to second in the group behind rivals Iran, whom they had just beaten 2-0 in their previous match thanks to goals from Son Heung-Min and Kim Young-Gwon.

The loss to UAE snapped the South Koreans’ impressive five-match winning run in qualifying and their 14-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Coach Paulo Bento will be without two regular starters in midfielder Lee Jae-sung (9 goals in 63 caps) and defender Kim Min-jae (42 caps) due to injury.

But he can still count on his captain, Son Heung-Min, as they try to defy the international friendly 2022 odds against mighty Brazil. The 29-year-old is coming off a spectacular season with Tottenham Hotspur as he scored 23 goals to become the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot. Son also scored seven goals in qualifying, including four in the all-important third round.

Son will be hoping for more support from South Korea’s other big-name forwards, namely Hwang Ui-jo and Hwang Hee-chan. The two Hwangs both had a disappointing end to the season; Ui-jo found the net just once in his last 15 games for Bordeaux, who finished bottom of Ligue 1, while Hee-chan scored just twice in his last 26 appearances for Wolves in the Premier League.

In-form Brazil likely to sit Champions League stars

With six months to go until the World Cup, Brazil are looking like one of the top contenders to win it all. The Selecao swept past South American qualifying as they went unbeaten in 17 matches (14 wins, 3 draws) and conceded just five goals while scoring 40.

Neymar led the way with 8 goals in qualifying, and the PSG star will presumably lead a Brazil team that will likely be at less than full strength against South Korea.

The six Liverpool and Real Madrid players in the Brazil squad who were involved in the Champions League final – Alisson, Fabinho, Eder Militao, Casemiro, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo – will all likely be rested in Seoul.

The potential absence of both Casemiro and Fabinho would leave Brazil coach Tite with limited options in defensive midfield. Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes – who impressed late in the season – and Manchester United’s Fred are the most likely to deputise.

But Tite will still have great options to replace Alisson and Eder Militao, with Ederson and Marquinhos expected to come into the side.

Meanwhile, he also has a host of capable forwards who can accompany Neymar in attack, with the England-based quintet of Philippe Coutinho, Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison, Raphinha, and Gabriel Martinelli, as well as Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha.

History

Brazil and South Korea have met six times over the years, and unsurprisingly, the Selecao have had the upper hand. Brazil have won five of the six matches, with South Korea’s lone win coming in a friendly in 1999.

The last meeting between the two came in a friendly in 2019. Brazil breezed past the South Koreans 3-0 with goals from Lucas Paqueta, Philippe Coutinho, and Danilo in Abu Dhabi.

Betting Tip

Despite the fact that a significant portion of their squad will be unavailable to play, SBOTOP odds still have Brazil priced as significant 1.43 favourites to win this friendly in Seoul. South Korea are 6.20 underdogs at home, while a draw is 4.20.

Expect South Korea to play the conservative style they usually play, even at home, in order to minimise the threat of Neymar and other Brazil forwards. Son will threaten on the counter and try his best to create international friendly 2022 highlights, but it will be tough to break Brazil down. Meanwhile, the Selecao are unlikely to exert themselves too much, so look for this friendly to be quite xca low-scoring affair.

 

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