The report says Atlético led through Jorge Dominguez shortly before half-time before City took control after the interval.
For City, that is the useful part of pre-season: rhythm, reaction and sharpness. Falling behind in July or August matters less than the response, and City’s answer appears to have been fast and clinical.
This was never just another exhibition. The update says South Korean football has spent the summer dealing with fallout from a poor World Cup, renewed scrutiny of the Korea Football Association, and a revived police investigation linked to coaching appointments.
The federation said: “We express our sincere apologies for causing concerns over a range of issues, from a parliamentary hearing and an unprecedented police raid to media reports about incidents from more than a decade ago that even members within the federation were unaware of.”
That apology, at least publicly, did little to calm the mood.
There was still a genuine football occasion here. Lee Kang-in’s second-half introduction reportedly gave the crowd the local connection it had come to see, even if he could not turn the result back Atlético’s way.
That is the tension in Seoul right now: the game can still fill a stadium and command attention, but the sport around it needs repair. City move on with encouraging attacking signs; South Korean football heads toward a more serious next chapter, with reform, appointments and the 2027 Asian Cup looming as the next storylines to watch.