Seattle Sounders left back Brad Smith and Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Inbeom Hwang are set to clash beyond Cascadia, as their respective home countries will square off in a June 7 friendly. Hwang will also take on Iran in a June 11 friendly.
Smith and Hwang will respectively represent Australia and South Korea at the Busan Asiad Stadium. With both MLS sides playing their final match this weekend before the Gold Cup break, neither player is expected to miss any league action.
The internationals previously met back on March 30, as the Cascadia Cup rivals played to a 0-0 draw. Smith went the full 90 minutes, while Hwang substituted on for the final 18 minutes in what proved to be the first point for Vancouver's new head coach, Marc Dos Santos.
Smith, 25, is currently with Seattle on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth, with his stateside stay expected to end June 30. During the Primary Transfer Window, Seattle brought in Trinidad and Tobago left back Joevin Jones, possibly preparing for Smith’s return to his parent club.
As for Hwang, the 22-year-old has emerged as one of the tidier passers during his first MLS season. He only has one goal and two assists through 15 games, but is nonetheless a key part of Dos Santos’ rebuild in Vancouver.
Hwang already has 14 caps and one goal for South Korea’s senior national team. Meanwhile, Smith has made 19 appearances for the Socceroos.
