The Hungary U17 and South Korea U17 teams served up one of the most entertaining international friendlies of the autumn window, with South Korea edging a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at the Telki Training Centre on Tuesday, 6 October 2026. A late strike settled a match that swung one way, then the other, and left both coaching staffs with plenty to review despite the friendly status of the fixture.

South Korea led twice, were pegged back twice, and finally found the decisive moment two minutes from time to claim a 4-3 victory. For Hungary, the performance offered encouragement in attack and a clear list of defensive problems; for South Korea, the result underlined the clinical edge that has become a hallmark of their youth sides.

Match Overview

The game kicked off at 16:00 local time in front of a modest but engaged crowd of scouts, federation staff and families, and it took barely a quarter of an hour for the scoring to open. South Korea's press was aggressive from the first whistle, and Hungary's attempts to play out from the back invited exactly the kind of turnover the visitors were looking for.

By the half-hour mark the visitors had a two-goal cushion, and it looked as though the contest might drift away from the hosts. Instead, Hungary responded with the best spell of their evening, dragging themselves back into the match before half-time and then levelling early in the second period. The momentum shifted repeatedly thereafter, which is precisely the kind of chaotic, high-tempo football that makes Under-17 friendlies so useful as a development tool.

Key Moments

• 12th minute – South Korea 1-0: A quick transition down the right ended with a low finish inside the near post, punishing Hungary for losing possession in midfield.
• 27th minute – South Korea 2-0: A well-worked set piece was only half-cleared, and the follow-up strike from the edge of the box doubled the lead.
• 38th minute – Hungary 1-2: Bence Kovács pulled one back, arriving late at the back post to convert a deep cross.
• 55th minute – Hungary 2-2: Ádám Tóth finished off a sweeping move through the middle, capping Hungary's strongest passage of play.
• 61st minute – South Korea 3-2: Lee Jun-ho restored the visitors' advantage with his second goal of the night, a composed finish after a defensive mix-up.
• 74th minute – Hungary 3-3: Kovács grabbed his brace, turning sharply in the box and finding the far corner.
• 88th minute – South Korea 4-3: Choi Do-yun broke Hungarian hearts late, converting on the counter after Hungary pushed numbers forward in search of a winner.

Tactical Story of the Match

South Korea set up in a flexible 4-2-3-1 that became a 4-4-2 out of possession, and their plan was straightforward: press high, win the ball in the middle third, and attack the space behind Hungary's full-backs. It worked beautifully for the opening half hour. Hungary's centre-backs were repeatedly forced into hurried decisions, and the visitors' front three rotated well enough to create mismatches throughout the first half.

Hungary's recovery came from a subtle adjustment. Their midfielders began dropping deeper to offer shorter passing options, which reduced the number of turnovers in dangerous areas and allowed the wide players to push higher. Once Hungary established a foothold, the game became far more even, and the hosts' two-goal comeback was no accident — it reflected a genuine change in the pattern of play.

The closing stages, however, exposed the trade-off every youth coach faces. Hungary pushed forward in search of a fourth goal, leaving space behind, and South Korea's substitutes exploited it ruthlessly. The winning goal was a textbook counter-attack: three passes, one sprint, one finish.

Standout Players

Bence Kovács (Hungary): Two goals from wide attacking positions, plus a constant willingness to run in behind. He was Hungary's most dangerous player across the ninety minutes and the obvious focal point of their comeback.

Ádám Tóth (Hungary): Took his goal well and linked play intelligently between the lines. His ability to receive under pressure gave Hungary a platform when they were struggling to keep the ball.

Lee Jun-ho (South Korea): A brace and a relentless work rate. His pressing triggered several turnovers and his finishing in the box was the sharpest of anyone on the pitch.

Choi Do-yun (South Korea): Introduced as a second-half substitute, he changed the tempo of the game and scored the winner with the calm of a player well beyond his years.

What the Result Means

Friendly results at Under-17 level are rarely about the scoreline alone,