Canada lost 0:2 away to Korea Republic in a Men's International Friendly match at the Cheonan Stadium. They were hit with two first-half goals before they settled down but were still stopped in their comeback attempt over the last hour of football on 11 November 2016. Kim Bokyoung scored the first goal in the 10th minute, finishing off a deft through ball from Nam Taehee. Lee Jeonghyeop scored the second goal in the 25th minute after he capitalized on a loose ball in the Canadian penalty area.

FIRST HALF:

Korea first threatened in the 8th minute when Lee Jaesung found himself in a lot of space on the right side. His cross was cut out before reaching a team-mate, but the Canadian defense would be wary of affording Korea that much space on the break. Canada won possession from the intercepted cross and broke quickly themselves, the lively looking Marco Bustos looking to play in Marcus Haber. The pass was cut out, but fell to Adam Straith whose long range shot was blocked.

The scoring was opened in the 10th minute by Kim Bokyoung. The ball was worked down the left side before being cut inside across the penalty area. Bokyoung had found some space in between the defenders and was played in with an incisive through ball into the area by Nam Taehee. His finish with the outside of his left foot was nearly stopped by Simon Thomas in the Canadian net, but just crept inside the foot of the left post. 

Bokyoung had another good look at goal in the 17th minute. Lee Jeonghyeop got to a long ball forward and was able to head it down into a pocket of space between the midfield and defence. Bokyoung had time to settle on the ball at the top of the eighteen yard box, but rushed his shot and pulled it wide of the right post.

Korea came close again in the 22nd minute. Jeonghyeop was slipped through on the left side of the area and fired in a cross from the touchline. Thomas was alive and palmed it away, but only as far as the advancing Kim Changso on the right. His driven shot towards the right post was deflected by Taehee and saved by Thomas onto the heels of Kim Bokyoung. Much to the relief of the Norway-based keeper it rolled harmlessly out for a goal kick. 

Korea doubled their lead in the 25th minute though Lee Jeonghyeop. Ji Dongwon looked to dribble in from the right side but was stopped solidly by David Edgar. The Canadian captain wasn't able to get the ball out of his feet, however, and his clearance only made it as far as Jeonghyeop, one of four Korean players waiting at the top of the box. His powerful shot to the right side of the goal came quickly and seemed to catch Thomas unawares. The goal doubled Korea's lead to 2-0.

Canada won a free kick in a dangerous position in the 29th minute following a hand ball. Marcel de Jong lined up the dead ball around 25 yards out towards the right. His shot was well struck and looked to be going straight into the top left corner, but Kwoun Suntae made a dramatic diving save to palm it away. The Korean keeper was strong on the resulting corner as well, claiming well and nullifying any threat.

De Jong took on a speculative effort in the 36th minute. Haber had nodded on a long ball from Manjrekar James and the full-back had some space on the left side of the field. He fired his shot first time, hoping to catch Suntae off-guard, but instead sent the shot high and wide.

Canada won a corner in the 38th minute. It was sent in from the right by Maxim Tissot and Haber was able to get a touch on it, causing confusion in the Korean defence. It was scuffed clear to the top of the area where Fraser Aird was waiting. The Vancouver Whitecaps player pounced on the loose ball but sent his shot wide of the left post.

Changsoo came close to a third Korean goal in the 40th minute. Taehee had shown great speed on the left flank, but his cross looked like it was poorly directed as it ended up with Ji Dongwon facing away from goal on the left of the area. The Korean winger showed great skill to send a backheel through the Canadian defence and right into the path of Changsoo. The full back's shot was powerful, but Thomas was well set and made the save, conceding only a corner that came to nothing.

The first half ended without further incident, and Korea took a 2-0 lead into the dressing room at half time.

SECOND HALF: 

Both teams made several changes at half-time, and it was Korea that started more sharply, threatening in the 47th minute. Some very deft one touch play on the left flank was finished by a cut back that rolled invitingly across the centre of the Canadian penalty area, but the ball was cleared to safety.

Substitute Koo Jaecheol managed to squeeze a shot on target in the 51st minute, after a long passage of Korean possession. Jaecheol picked the ball up towards the right of the field and cut across the top of the penalty area, managing to just get ahead of his defender and fire towards goal. Substitute goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler had tracked the run well, however, and was able to make a save with little fuss.

Fellow Korean substitute Hong Jeongho came close in the 56th minute. Korea had won a corner after some silken play by Kim Bokyoung and Kim Changsoo down the right flank. The cross from Changsoo was cleared out for a corner on the left. The corner was sent in and met by Jeongho at the near post. He outjumped his marker but sent his header just over the bar.

Canada posed a threat in the 69th minute when some good play down the right side nearly had Marco Bustos free in the penalty area. He tried to get around the outside of his marker but was rebuffed, the ball finding it's way to the feet of Adam Straith. The midfielder's shot was blocked high into the air, and the Korean goalkeeper got the worst of a tussle with Maxim Tissot.

Korea came right back in the 70th minute, Sukyoung making a blistering run down the left flank and into the heart of the penalty area. He was crowded out by the defence, but the ball fell kindly for Kim Bokyoung to attack it and take a shot. Leutwiler was alive to the shot and made a terrific low save, keeping the score at 2-0.

Canada were finding space in the final third as the game got increasingly more open. Marco Bustos was continuing to offer a likely avenue for a goal, and in the 73rd minute was put through on net. Suntae was sharp off his line after the through ball and gave Bustos very little room to lift the ball over him from only a few yards out. 

Substitute Carl Haworth was getting more involved in the game, winning a corner in the 76th minute. Tissot sent the ball in and everyone missed it, as it landed in the six yard box and span towards the back post. Marcus Haber made a lunge to catch it on the bounce, but couldn't redirect it in a meaningful way. Substitute Steven Vitoria was able to catch up with the loose ball, but was just outside the left post and couldn't steer it in.

Marcus Haber had the ball rolling along the top of the bar in the 80th minute. Haworth had played in Fraser Aird on the right wing, and his cross initially looked to be too long. Haber did terrifically well to tower at the back post and direct the ball towards goal from a difficult angle. His header beat the goalkeeper, but wouldn't dip below the bar, bouncing away to relative safety and leaving the score unchanged.

Even as Canada grew into the game Leutwiler needed to stay alert, making a solid low save from Koo Jacheol's shot in the 82nd minute. The rebound was just beyond the reach of substitute Kim Shinwook and was calmly cleared out of danger. 

Han Kookyoung was shown a yellow card in the 86th minute for a challenge on Marcus Haber. 

The last chance of the game fell to the opening scorer. Kim Bokyoung had done well to hold up play on the left side of the field, before playing in the advancing full back. He drifted into space at the top of the box and was fed a nicely weighted ball that he took on first time. His shot was sent over, but not by a lot. 

That was the last meaningful event in the game, as Korea made the two first half goals stand up in the face of a resurgent Canada in the second half, winning 2-0. 

LINEUPS & NOTES:

Canada's starting XI featured Simon Thomas in goal, Karl Ouimette at right back, Manjrekar James and David Edgar (c) at centre back, Marcel de Jong at left back, and Samuel Piette, Adam Straith, Marco Bustos, Fraser Aird, Maxim Tissot, and Marcus Haber from the midfield up through to the attack.

In the second half, coach Michael Findlay replaced Thomas, James and Edgar with Jayson Leutwiler, Steven Vitoria, and Dejan Jakovic (all at 46'), Ouimette with Carl Haworth (62'), Piette with Charlie Trafford (72'), and Tissot with Jamar Dixon (84').

Of note, both Leutwiler and Haworth were making their international debuts at the "A" level.

Korea Republic's starting XI featured Kwoun Suntae (c) in goal, Kim Changsoo at right back, Kim Keehee and Jang Hyunsoo at centre back, Park Jooho at left back, and Jung Wooyoung, Han Kookyoung, Kim Bokyoung, Ji Dongwon, Nam Tahee, and Lee Jeonghyeop from the midfield up through to the attack.

In the second half, coach Ulrich Stielike replaced Park Joohoo with Yun Sukyoung (46'), Kim Keehee with Hong Jeongho (46'), Ji Dongwon with Koo Jacheol (46'), Nam Taehee with Hwang Heechan (65'), Kim Changsoo with Choi Chulsoon (73'), and Lee Jeonghyeop with Kim Shinwook (80').