South Korea sees promise in three-back strategy

Although South Korea missed out on lifting the East Asian Cup trophy, its blueprint for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America became a little clearer.

South Korea’s national team lost 1-0 to Japan in the final match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship on Monday at the Yongin Mir Stadium, falling short of reclaiming the title. But the tournament offered valuable takeaways.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo actively tested a three-back formation throughout the tournament, in contrast to his usual four-man defense. The three-back system features three central defenders on the backline, enhancing defensive solidity while allowing wingbacks to participate aggressively in attack. Having relied solely on a four-back system since his appointment, Hong used the tournament to evaluate a potential Plan B.

Han Jun-hee, a commentator for Coupang Play, noted, “If defenders don’t actively join the build-up in a three-back system, midfielders are forced to drop deeper, isolating the attackers. This causes gaps between the lines,” and added, “It’s crucial to adjust player positioning during build-up play to resolve this issue.” He also emphasized the need to deploy the right players to execute effective counterattacks when using a three-back setup against strong teams.

The tournament also served as a proving ground for K League players. Since the East Asian Cup did not fall within an official FIFA international match window, Europe-based players were unavailable. Hong assembled the squad with 23 K League players and three from Japan’s J League.

Several center backs who had struggled for opportunities, such as Kim Ju-sung (FC Seoul) and Park Seung-wook (Pohang), proved their value under the new system. Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), who played as a wingback, earned the tournament’s Best Defender award. Among the attacking midfielders, Gang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk) and Lee Dong-gyeong (Gimcheon) also made strong impressions. Gang scored his first international goal against Hong Kong in only his second appearance, while Lee netted the opening goal against China. Up front, Lee Ho-jae (Pohang) earned praise with a debut goal in the Hong Kong match.

“I closely monitored up to five players during this tournament,” Hong said. “If they continue performing well, they will have a real shot at making the final World Cup squad.”


한종호 기자 hjh@donga.com