[South Korea] Predicted Formations for the Robert Moreno Era — Main A-Team vs Ecuador, a Fully Rotated B-Team vs Uruguay

On 14 September the Korea Football Association (KFA) named a 30-man squad for four international friendlies in September and October. In charge is Spaniard Robert Moreno, appointed interim head coach on 1 September. Around ten weeks after a group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup, these first four matches are about rebuilding the team and evaluating players at the same time. Working from the 4-4-2 Moreno confirmed at his press conference, we lay out two predicted line-ups for the September matches: an A-team of first-choice players against Ecuador and a B-team with all eleven changed against Uruguay.

Group-Stage Exit and a Coach's Resignation — Three Turbulent Months

Korea opened Group A at the 2026 World Cup by coming from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1, with Hwang In-beom scoring one and setting up another. But 0-1 defeats to Mexico and South Africa followed, and Korea went out in third place on three points. Leaving Son Heung-min out of the starting XI against South Africa drew heavy criticism. Head coach Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation on 29 June (local time) — his second group-stage exit with the same national team after 2014.

There was turmoil off the pitch too. KFA president Chung Mong-gyu, criticised since 2024 over alleged improper intervention in Hong's appointment, announced on 29 May, just before the tournament, that he would step down after the World Cup. With results poor and trust in the federation low, the KFA chose not to rush a permanent appointment and instead to judge performance under an interim coach first.

Who Is Robert Moreno — Luis Enrique's Right-Hand Man Who Led Spain Unbeaten

Born on 19 September 1977 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona, Moreno made his name as Luis Enrique's assistant at Roma, Celta, Barcelona and the Spanish national team. In 2019 he took charge of Spain while Luis Enrique stepped away for family reasons, going unbeaten in nine games (seven wins, two draws) and securing qualification for Euro 2020. He has since coached Monaco, Granada and Russia's PFC Sochi, and is known for data-driven opponent analysis.

The KFA board approved Moreno's appointment on 1 September. His contract runs to 27 November and covers six matches — four in September and October and two in November — with a possible extension to the Asian Cup in January 2027 depending on results. He arrives with a Spanish coaching staff and said on landing in Korea that he would focus on the task in front of him.

A Confirmed 4-4-2 — 30 Players Picked From Data on 1,700

Moreno says he began the job by analysing data on around 1,700 Korean players and reviewed each candidate's last ten matches before picking the squad. On the system, he said 4-4-2 had been the most-used formation in the K League over the past two years and that Korea would prepare on that basis. National-team camps are short, making it hard to install a specific game model quickly, so choosing a shape players already know from their clubs is a pragmatic call. He also noted that Korean players are impressive on the ball but tend to drop deep and wait rather than press actively without it — something he wants to improve.

The criterion for selection is not the name. It is performance.

Robert Moreno (squad announcement press conference, 14 September; translated from Korean media reports)

* First call-up. Twelve players come from the K League, and several return after long absences, including Jeong Seung-won — 8 goals and 6 assists for FC Seoul this season — Cho Hyun-taek, Kim Bong-soo, Song Min-kyu and Oh Se-hun. Three are based in Japan's J.League: Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima) and Oh Se-hun (Shimizu). World Cup squad member Jens Castrop misses out through injury, while Yang Hyun-jun, Bae Jun-ho, Eom Ji-sung and Lee Ki-hyuk are reported to be heading to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya instead.

Fixtures and Opponents — Gallardo's Ecuador Debut, and a Uruguay Side Coming From Japan

South Korea's international friendlies, September-October 2026

Date	Opponent	Venue	Kick-off (JST/KST)
Thu 24 Sep	Ecuador	Suwon World Cup Stadium	20:00
Mon 28 Sep	Uruguay	Seoul World Cup Stadium	20:00
Fri 2 Oct	Venezuela	Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium	20:00
Tue 6 Oct	Uzbekistan	Yongin Mir Stadium	20:00

First up are Ecuador, who got out of their World Cup group — beating Germany along the way — before losing to Mexico in the round of 32. Former River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo was appointed on 13 September, so this match will be his debut. Built on a solid defence and European-based players such as Moisés Caicedo, William Pacho and Piero Hincapié, Ecuador have met Korea twice before; the most recent meeting was a 2-0 Korea win in a 2010 friendly.

Uruguay went out in the World Cup group stage, after which Marcelo Bielsa left and Diego Forlán took over as interim coach. They face Japan in Miyagi on 24 September before travelling to Seoul, with Federico Valverde and Rodrigo Bentancur at the core. Korea's all-time record against them is one win, two draws and seven defeats: a 0-0 at the 2022 World Cup, and a 1-2 loss in the most recent meeting, a friendly in March 2023.

Prediction A: vs Ecuador, 24 Sep — Building the 4-4-2 Around the World Cup Core

For the opener we expect Moreno to lay the foundations of his 4-4-2 with the World Cup regulars. Kim Min-jae anchors the back line alongside left-footed Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima) at left centre-back, with left-footer Lee Tae-seok and Seol Young-woo at full-back. Porto's Hwang In-beom and Paik Seung-ho form the double pivot. Left-footed Lee Kang-in starts on the right to cut inside, while Hwang Hee-chan brings direct running on the left. Son Heung-min — described by Moreno as a versatile player who can fill several positions — partners Oh Hyeon-gyu up front, also triggering the press from the front. Given the coach's wish to stop the team sitting too deep, this should be a test of high pressing with World Cup-level intensity.

Prediction B: vs Uruguay, 28 Sep — All Eleven Changed to Test New Call-Ups and In-Form K League Players

Moreno's contract covers just six matches up to November, and four games in 13 days is one of his few chances to assess all 30 players. So for the second match we predict a B-team with every one of the eleven changed. Kim Seung-gyu, a J.League regular, starts in goal. Club Brugge's Lee Han-beom partners 192cm first call-up Kim Geon-hui at centre-back, with left-footed Cho Hyun-taek at left-back and Choi Jun on the right. Kim Bong-soo, comfortable as a holding midfielder or centre-back, sits alongside first call-up Park Tae-jun. Jeong Seung-won, with 8 goals and 6 assists in the K League this season, plays on the right, and 20-year-old Rangers midfielder Kim Min-su gets his chance on the left. Up front, 194cm Oh Se-hun is paired with left-footed Lee Dong-gyeong — 10 goals and 10 assists in the K League this season — for a mix of height and technique. How K League players used to a 4-4-2 at their clubs cope against a higher-ranked Uruguay is exactly the kind of data the coach will want.

Summary — Can Moreno Win and Evaluate at the Same Time?

For an interim coach, these four matches are also an audition for the job. Can Moreno get results with the World Cup core while giving K League players and youngsters a chance — living up to his own words that selection is about performance, not names? With Venezuela and Uzbekistan to follow in October, the outline of a new South Korea heading towards the 2027 Asian Cup should become clearer this autumn.

Note: predicted formations are Fomelabo's own. Shirt numbers are from the 2026 World Cup; newly called-up players had no numbers at the time of writing (14 September 2026). Clubs and statistics are as of the same date. Kick-off times are Japan time, which is the same as Korea time.