Back with a Roar: Striker Oh Se-hun Seals Redemption Goal for South Korea Under Interim Boss Robert Moreno

Summary South Korean forward Oh Se-hun marked an emphatic return to the national team stage on October 6, heading home a decisive second-half goal to seal a 2-0 victory against Uzbekistan at Yongin Mireu Stadium. Starting in his very first match under Spanish interim head coach Robert Moreno, the 27-year-old striker delivered a statement performance, demonstrating the aerial prowess and relentless pressing that made him a favorite during earlier qualifying campaigns. The match represented a critical turning point for the Taegeuk Warriors (the popular moniker for South Korea's national football team, referencing the iconic red-and-blue circle on the national flag). Following a disappointing campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Korea Football Association entrusted Moreno with steadying the ship across a four-match autumn friendly series. The run began brightly with a 3-0 rout of Ecuador, but subsequent turbulence—a bruising 1-4 defeat to Uruguay and a frustrating 0-0 stalemate against Venezuela—left both supporters and local media demanding an emphatic rebound. For Oh, the redemption arc carried deep personal significance. Although he played an instrumental role in guiding South Korea through the earlier Asian qualifiers, he suffered the heartbreak of being left off the final World Cup squad, edged out in fierce selection battles by fellow center-forwards Cho Gue-sung (FC Midtjylland) and Oh Hyeon-gyu (Beşiktaş). Undeterred, Oh maintained strong domestic form following a club transfer to Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan's J.League, netting two goals across seven appearances to earn a recall to the national setup. Tactically, Oh had to adapt quickly. Accustomed to operating as a lone target man throughout much of his career, he had expressed keen enthusiasm for Moreno's signature 4-4-2 setup upon arriving at camp, praising the twin-forward configuration for enabling aggressive high-pressing turnovers. While Oh Hyeon-gyu initially partnered team captain Son Heung-min (now playing for LAFC) across the opening three friendlies, an opportunity finally opened for Oh Se-hun in the series finale. After Son broke the deadlock with a signature first-half free-kick, Oh doubled the advantage in the 60th minute, leaping to steer an authoritative header into the net. The strike marked Oh’s third career international goal and his first in roughly two years, since finding the net against Kuwait in November 2024. Poetically, it came on the very same turf in Yongin where he netted his senior debut international goal against Iraq in 2024. By blending disciplined defensive work with clinical finishing, Oh delivered the exact spark the national team needed, giving Moreno's transitional era a triumphant send-off and reigniting competition for Korea's frontline.