The friendly match against Uzbekistan held at Yongin Mireu Stadium on October 6 will be remembered as a day that set a new milestone in South Korean football history. The national team secured a valuable 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan under interim manager Roberto Moreno. The star of the match was undoubtedly captain Son Heung-min. With a brilliant free-kick goal just 6 minutes into the first half, he scored his 59th career international goal, finally surpassing the 58-goal record held by Cha Bum-kun for the most goals in South Korean men's football history.

Behind this historic goal was an interesting backstory. As Son stepped up for the free kick, Lee Kang-in approached him and quietly suggested that he should aim low. Son followed this advice, and the low-driven ball passed right under the defensive wall and into the net. Having gained momentum, the national team sealed the win in the 60th minute when Oh Se-hun connected with a powerful header from a cross by Song Min-kyu, who had been substituted on for Lee Kang-in.

However, there was a dark side to the joy of victory. Kim Min-jae, the core of the defense, was completely excluded from the matchday squad. It is interpreted as the result of extreme fatigue accumulated since the Venezuela match on October 2, as well as the aftermath of his actions when he was substituted off—throwing his boots and making comments pointing out the lack of defensive contributions from the attackers. While the team achieved a brilliant milestone, it was a match that left behind a heavy assignment: how to reconcile the physical strain of key players and lingering internal psychological conflicts.

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