South Korea will face Saudi Arabia in Dubai on Thursday in their final test match before next week's Olympic qualifiers.
South Korea's under-23 squad defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-0 on Tuesday at Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, and will return to the same venue to take on Saudi Arabia.
South Korea have not yet lost to Saudi Arabia at the U-23 level, with three wins and two draws.
It will be the final prep match for South Korea before the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship in Qatar from Jan. 12-30. The competition will double as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. South Korea must finish in the top three to advance to their eighth consecutive Olympics.
Against the UAE, head coach Shin Tae-yong kept most of his regulars on the bench at the start, as he sought to test different lineup combinations and tinker with formations. After a lethargic first half, substitutes turned the tide in South Korea's favor in the second half, especially on the attack.
Afterward, Shin said he didn't want to reveal too much about his squad ahead of the AFC tournament, and that he'd stick to the similar strategy against Saudi Arabia.
It will be the last opportunity for South Korea to shore up their defense, after the backline suffered lapses against the UAE.
The offense, led by Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ryu Seung-woo and Salzburg striker Hwang Hee-chan, enjoyed good stretches in the second half.
South Korea will depart for Qatar on Friday.
At the AFC tournament, South Korea have been paired with Uzbekistan, Iraq and Yemen in Group C.
There are 16 nations, divided into four groups of four. The top two countries from each group will reach the quarterfinals.
South Korea will first face Uzbekistan on Jan. 13, followed by Yemen on Jan. 16 and Iraq on Jan. 19.
South Korea won bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London, the country's first Olympic medal in football. They have competed in every Olympics since 1988. (Yonhap)
