Last two finals have seen Korea best its eastern neighbor
Asia’s two strongest soccer powerhouses, South Korea and Japan, will meet for the third straight time at the Asian Games with gold on the line Saturday, as coach Lee Min-sung also looks to lead the side to Korea’s fourth consecutive gold medal.
Korea rallied past China 2-1 on Wednesday, while Japan beat Uzbekistan 9-8 on penalties to reach the final the same day. Saturday’s match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Stadium, east of Nagoya, Japan.
Korea will look to Swansea City midfielder Eom Ji-sung, striker Lee Young-jun of Swiss club Grasshopper Club Zurich and Stoke City midfielder Bae to lead its attack against Japan.
All three played key roles in Korea’s 2-1 comeback win over China in the semifinal. Lee headed in Eom’s corner to level the score before Eom set up Bae’s winning goal in the 82nd minute. Their link-up helped Korea recover from a goal down to reach the final.
Lee has scored three goals, including two against Vietnam in the quarterfinals. His strength in the air could prove crucial against Japan, especially if Korea struggles to create chances through the middle. Eom’s crosses would give him opportunities to score.
But Korea needs to tighten its defense.
China scored the opening goal after a pass through a gap in Korea’s midfield, and Korea remained vulnerable to counterattacks as it pushed for the winner. Against Japan, it will need to attack while keeping enough players back to defend.
Captain Lee Gi-hyuk’s foot injury is another concern. The midfielder was held out of the semifinal starting lineup because of foot inflammation. Whether he can play in the final could shape coach Lee Min-sung’s midfield choices.
Japan, meanwhile, will need to recover from a grueling semifinal. Sena Ishibashi’s 88th-minute equalizer against Uzbekistan kept the hosts in the game before they won 9-8 on penalties. Fatigue could become a factor in the closing stages of Saturday’s final, but Japan showed it can fight back late.
Korea beat Japan 2-1 in the last two finals. At the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia, Korea won in extra time. In Hangzhou, China in 2023, Korea came back from a goal down to win.
On the other hand, Korea lost its most recent competitive match against Japan. Lee Min-sung’s team fell 1-0 in the semifinals of January’s AFC U-23 Asian Cup to a Japanese side made up of under-21 players. Japan has also fielded an under-21 squad at the Asian Games, opting not to use any wild-card players.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
