Trinidad and Tobago suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to World Cup-bound South Korea in an international friendly in Provo, Utah, on Saturday night.
Captain Son Heung-min scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes as the Asian side eventually proved too strong for the Soca Warriors, who were playing with a squad that had only trained together twice before the match.
South Korea, ranked 25th in the world and preparing for the FIFA World Cup, were made to work hard early on as Trinidad and Tobago stayed organised and compact for much of the opening half hour.
Goalkeeper Jabari Brice was called into action in the 31st minute when he denied Paik Seung-ho with a smart save, but the breakthrough came nine minutes later when Son found the net after a move that appeared to catch the Trinidad and Tobago defence offside.
The Tottenham star doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute after Dante Sealy was judged to have fouled Bae Jun-ho inside the area.
South Korea controlled the second half and added three more goals through Cho Gue-sung in the 65th minute, Hwang Hee-chan from the penalty spot in the 75th minute and Cho again two minutes later.
Trinidad and Tobago’s best chance came in the first half when New York Red Bulls forward Roald Mitchell tested the South Korean goalkeeper with a powerful effort.
The match marked the first meeting between the two countries since a 1-1 draw in Seoul in 2004.
For Head Coach Derek King, the fixture was always going to be a difficult assignment. Several regular players were unavailable because the match fell outside the FIFA international window, while the foreign-based players only joined the squad on Thursday.
The game also provided international debuts for Ali Kazim Nakhid, Teshorne Ragoo, Jacob Greene and Scotland-based defender Kieran Ngwenya, while 22-year-old Kobi Henry captained the team.
King said the experience would be an important learning opportunity for the squad.
“We knew we were coming up against a very strong team that is preparing for a World Cup and has players competing at some of the highest levels of the game. The scoreline is disappointing, but there are lessons that we must take from this experience,” he said.
“We had players arriving on Thursday and only two sessions together before facing a team of South Korea’s quality. We also gave opportunities to several players making their international debuts, and these are experiences that will help them understand the demands of international football.”
South Korea captain Son, whose brace moved him to 56 international goals and within two of his country’s all-time men’s scoring record, praised his team’s response after a difficult March international window.
“Regardless of opponents, it’s not easy to win 5-0. I hope people don’t take this for granted. The players deserve credit, and I think we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.
Trinidad and Tobago will now turn their attention to an away friendly against Russia on June 9, while South Korea continue their World Cup preparations against El Salvador.
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