South Korea 0-5 Brazil: Rodrigo shines as attacking midfielder with a brace & top rating, Esteban also scores twice, Son Heung-min finishes with zero shots

At 7 PM Beijing time on October 10, an international friendly match saw South Korea face Brazil at home.

In the first half, the Premier League connection shone as Guimarães delivered a surgical through ball assisting Esteban to break the deadlock; Casemiro then set up Rodrigo to extend the lead, with Brazil leading 2-0 at halftime. In the second half, Kim Min-jae made a major error gifting Esteban his second goal, then after South Korea lost possession in midfield, Rodrigo completed his brace, followed by Vinícius scoring from a Cunha assist.

In the end, South Korea suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat to Brazil, marking their fifth consecutive loss against them.

For South Korea vs Brazil, Hong Myung-bo deployed a 5-4-1 formation, with Son Heung-min pushing forward, setting a new record with his 137th national team appearance; Paris midfielder Lee Kang-in and Bayern defender Kim Min-jae started as well, with South Korea’s starting lineup valued at €108 million.Ancelotti set up a 4-2-3-1 formation, placing Manchester United’s forward Cunha upfront, with Real Madrid’s Rodrigo playing as an attacking midfielder behind him, flanked by Real Madrid’s Vinícius on the left wing and Chelsea’s Esteban on the right wing. The double pivot consisted of Premier League partners Casemiro and Guimarães. The back four included Santos, Gabriel, Militão, and Vitinho, while goalkeeper Bento, Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate at Al Nassr, started for Brazil. The Brazilian starting lineup was valued at €571 million..

Facing a top-tier opponent like Brazil, South Korea was clearly outmatched. In this match, Ancelotti found the perfect role for Rodrigo, who, lacking pace but rich in skill, was shifted to attacking midfield, with Cunha as the number 9, Vinícius on the left wing, and the rising 18-year-old Esteban on the right. Alongside Casemiro and Guimarães in midfield, Brazil’s technical and speedy front and midfield lines overwhelmed South Korea, who had no answer. Rodrigo and Esteban both scored twice, Vinícius contributed a goal and an assist, and Guimarães, Casemiro, and Cunha all provided assists. Son Heung-min, who set the Korean national team appearance record with 137 caps, started but played only 63 minutes without a single shot. Though prolific in MLS, Son struggled completely against Brazil, the only forward in Korea’s starting lineup, failing to register a shot in 63 minutes, looking very ineffective.

After the match, Rodrigo, playing as an attacking midfielder, earned the highest rating of 9, possibly explaining why Alonso uses him in that role.

Throughout the game, Brazil held 59% possession with 14 shots, 7 on target; South Korea managed 4 shots, only 1 on target.