Seoul: The head coach of the South Korean men's national football team at the Asian Games has expressed his determination to leverage the tournament as an opportunity to restore pride in South Korean football with a gold medal victory in Japan.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Coach Lee Min-sung and his under-23 squad are striving for South Korea's fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal. The team is set to begin their Group D campaign against Qatar at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, central Japan. Their second match will take place against Saudi Arabia at 7 p.m. on September 22 at the same venue.
This year has been challenging for South Korean football, with the men's senior national team failing to progress beyond the group stage at the FIFA World Cup. Lee's U-23 squad also faced setbacks at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup in January, losing to Japan in the semifinals and then suffering an upset defeat by Vietnam in the third-place match. At a pre-Asian Games press conference, Lee acknowledged the intense criticism his team and South Korean football have faced, but emphasized his commitment to turning these challenges into growth opportunities.
"Over the past 18 months, we have heard much criticism, but I think it will ultimately help us become better," Lee stated. "I also think that it is a sign of people's interest in our team. And we will do our best to win the gold medal here so that South Korean football can get back on its feet once again."
The Asian Games football competition is open to players under 23, with each nation permitted to include up to three players over that age. The South Korean squad includes four members from this year's FIFA World Cup, three of whom exceed the age limit: 24-year-old midfielder Eom Ji-sung, 26-year-old defender Lee Gi-hyuk, 24-year-old midfielder Yang Hyun-jun, and 22-year-old midfielder Bae Jun-ho.
In this U-23 tournament, 15 nations are divided into three groups of four and one group of three. South Korea, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia form the sole group of three, which means they will play two group stage matches, unlike other participants who will play three.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. "We are fully ready to take on Qatar and Saudi Arabia," Lee stated. He noted his trip to Qatar to observe their players and mentioned that Saudi Arabia has a largely new team compared to last year, although their head coach remains the same.
Lee also prepared his players for unpredictable weather in Nagoya. The team trained in Shizuoka, east of Nagoya, under rainy conditions earlier this month. "I think playing in the rain will help us," Lee remarked, expressing confidence in his players' readiness.
Should South Korea win Group D, they will face the runner-up from Group C in the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. on September 25 in Nagoya. A second-place finish in Group D would pit them against the Group C winner at 2 p.m. on the same day, also in Nagoya. The semifinals are scheduled for September 30 at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, with the bronze medal match and final on October 3 at Toyota Stadium in Toyota.
Lee, whose contract ends after the Asian Games, emphasized the importance of cherishing his time with the team. "Every day that I spend with these players is really precious," he said. "And once we play Qatar tomorrow, then we will not be able to turn back the time. So we will all try to value every game and do the best we can."