Sonny scores as S. Korea rout 10-man Vietnam 6-0 for 3rd straight win

Captain Son Heung-min scored in his return to international action, as South Korea hammered Vietnam 6-0 in their men’s football friendly match at home Tuesday.

Four other players chipped in a goal apiece, and Vietnam had an own goal in the second half at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, just south of Seoul.

This was South Korea’s third straight victory under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, whose first win with the Taegeuk Warriors came against Saudi Arabia in September. South Korea, world No. 26, blanked Tunisia 4-0 last Friday in Seoul and then surpassed that offensive output against 95th-ranked Vietnam.

South Korea took the lead about five minutes into the match. Defender Kim Min-jae soared to meet Lee Kang-in’s corner and ended up redirecting the ball into the net with his shoulder.

It was only Kim’s fourth international goal in his 53rd match and first marker since December 2019.

South Korea came within inches of doubling their lead on 16 minutes, when Lee Kang-in, after a nifty give-and-go with Seol Young-woo, just missed the left post with a left-footed shot from inside the box.

In the next minute, Son, back in the lineup after missing the Tunisia match with a groin injury, was stoned by goalkeeper Dang Van Lam in a one-on-one opportunity after a Vietnam turnover.

South Korea kept knocking on the Vietnam door, using some creative passing to find shooting lanes in the face of tight Vietnamese defense.

Vietnam had their first chance on 24 minutes when Truong Tien Anh, after deking out Hwang Hee-chan on the right side of the box, curled a left-footed shot just over the crossbar.

Hwang atoned for his defensive miscue just a couple of minutes later with his first international goal of 2023. Lee Jae-sung sprung Hwang free with a superb through ball past multiple defenders, and Hwang fought off Do Duy Manh to get a shot off as he fell to the pitch.

Vietnam nearly cut the deficit in half in the 29th minute, as Nguyen Dinh Bac, following a South Korean turnover in their own zone, sent the ball high in an open look from the top of the box.

At the other end, Cho Gue-sung was denied by Dang after taking a short feed from Lee Kang-in deep inside the box on 33 minutes. About two minutes later, Lee took a free kick from outside the box, nearly the same spot where he’d scored his first international goal against Tunisia on Friday, and curled the ball wide right of the target this time.

South Korea remained firmly in control of the match in the second half. They opened up a 3-0 lead on an own goal by Vo Minh Trong near the 50th-minute mark, as the Vietnamese defender put Son’s pass intended for Cho into his own net.

Son scored off a Hwang Hee-chan feed near the hour mark to put South Korea up 4-0, unleashing his shot just before being tackled deep inside the box. Then seconds after the ensuing kickoff, Son was tripped up by Bui Hoang Viet Anh as he tried to break in alone on Dang, a foul that resulted in a direct red card for the Vietnamese defender.

Son set up Lee Kang-in’s goal that gave South Korea a 5-0 cushion in the 70th minute. After receiving an initial pass from Hwang Ui-jo, Son drew three defenders to himself. Son then flicked the ball to his right to find Lee, who had enough space to beat Dang for his third goal in two matches.

Vietnam nearly got a goal back on 73 minutes when Khuat Van Khang’s free kick struck the woodwork but couldn’t overcome their man disadvantage.

Jeong Woo-yeong, fresh off leading the Asian Games in goals earlier this month, rounded out the scoring in the 86th minute, when he slotted home a rebound following Hwang Ui-jo’s shot.