Nashville: South Korea is set to face Mexico in a challenging friendly match during their U.S. tour, with a large Mexican audience anticipated in the stands in Tennessee. The 13th-ranked Mexican team is expected to provide a rigorous test for the South Korean side as they prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada. According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to play against a formidable opponent like Mexico. This match follows South Korea's 2-0 victory over the 15th-ranked United States in New Jersey. Hong emphasized that the encounter with Mexico presents another chance to assess the competitiveness of his players, even though they have not fully recovered from the recent U.S. match, which took place just two days prior. Hong's strategic use of the back-three formation, which has been in development since July, proved effective in the match against the U.S., particularly with the pe rformance of Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-jae. However, Hong has not yet decided on the formation for the upcoming match against Mexico, underscoring that the team's approach to building an attack holds greater significance than the formation itself. South Korea will be missing playmaking midfielder Lee Jae-sung due to a hamstring injury sustained during the match against the U.S. Hong acknowledged Lee's crucial role in the team and expressed his hopes for the player's swift return to his German club, Mainz 05. The absence of Lee, who has earned 99 caps, will be felt during this critical test. The match against the U.S. was marked by a significant presence of South Korean supporters, creating a home-game atmosphere. In contrast, the game against Mexico might see South Korean fans outnumbered. Hong stated that this would serve as a valuable experience, especially for the younger players, as they face a strong opponent in what will feel like an away match. Meanwhile, Mexico's head coach Javier Aguirre i s seeking an improved performance from his team, following a goalless draw against Japan. Aguirre emphasized the need for his players to be more daring and maintain their defensive structure while pushing forward. He noted that playing against South Korea will be challenging, as they are similar to Japan both tactically and physically but exhibit greater aggression. Aguirre praised the South Korean team for their dynamic, fast, and aggressive style of play, highlighting the importance of improving after the disappointing performance against Japan. He believes that enhancing the quality of play will be more crucial than the final score in the upcoming match.