In World Cup rematch, S. Korea to host Uruguay in men’s football friendly in March

In a rematch of a FIFA World Cup showdown from last fall, South Korea will host Uruguay in a men’s football friendly in March, the national football federation announced Monday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said South Korea and Uruguay will renew their rivalry on March 28 at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. The kickoff time will be determined later.

It will be the first meeting between the two countries since a goalless draw in Group H action at the World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 24.

Both countries finished the group stage with four points from one win, one draw and one loss, but South Korea grabbed the second seed in Group H to reach the knockout phase thanks to their edge in the second tiebreaking category, goals scored.

Despite falling short of expectations in Qatar, Uruguay have kept head coach Diego Alonso at the helm. The South American side will likely bring back their mainstays from the World Cup, including Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez, and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Uruguay match will be the second friendly for South Korea in March, taking place four days after the Taegeuk Warriors face Colombia in Ulsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

These will be the first two matches for South Korea’s new head coach. The KFA is still searching for the successor to Paulo Bento, who left South Korea following the World Cup to wrap up a four-year tenure.

Uruguay are ranked 16th in the world, nine spots above South Korea. In nine all-time meetings, South Korea have managed just one win against two draws and six losses.

The lone victory came on Oct. 12, 2018, at Seoul World Cup Stadium, where Hwang Ui-jo and Jung Woo-young scored a goal apiece for a 2-1 win.