"Defensive anxiety" against Lebanon... Lee Min-sung's temporary argument is also "bittersweet."

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Min-sung, who played in the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup, came from behind to win against Lebanon and rose to the top of the group. It is an advantageous situation to reach the quarterfinals on its own just by drawing against Uzbekistan in the final match. However, the unstable defense emerged as a challenge as the team allowed two runs against Lebanon. After the game, coach Lee Min-sung and interim captain Lee Hyun-yong also threw "bittersweet words."

South Korea, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, came from behind to beat Lebanon 4-2 in the second Group C match of the tournament at Al-Shabab Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 10th (Korea time). South Korea, which had previously drawn 0-0 with Iran, scored four points (1 win and 1 draw) and rose to the top of the group, beating Uzbekistan and Iran (three points or more).

South Korea also led 17-5 in the number of shots with a whopping 67.4 percent ball possession. The number of shots on target was 7-3 advantage. However, he allowed runs in the 13th minute of the first half and the 3rd minute of the second half to lose the lead first. In the 13th minute of the first half, the defender in the gate slipped on the opponent's side cross, allowing the first run, and in the 13th minute of the second half when the team was facing 1-1, the last pass miss eventually led to the opponent's additional goal.

After the loss, South Korea tied the score without being shaken, and added the reverse and net goals of Kang Sung-jin (Suwon Samsung) and Kim Tae-won (Gatale Toyama) to earn three points. In the last match against Iran, it was positive to turn the mood around by scoring four goals against Lebanon on the same day, given that he expressed regret over the empty space with one shot in the first half and one shot in the entire shot.

However, it was necessary to point out that it allowed two runs against Lebanon, which is considered one step below, and that the defensive concentration problem lies behind it. In addition to the first run dedicated to the mistake made by the last defender at the gate, the pass miss, which continued from the beginning of the game, eventually led to additional runs in the second half, became a task to be solved for Lee Min-sung, who aims to "at least the semifinals."

After the game, coach Lee Min-sung also criticized the inside of the national team despite the precious victory. According to the Korea Football Association, head coach Lee Min-sung said, "To become a more advanced team, you have to feel painful about two runs. His attitude toward the game at the last minute was also wrong. We need to fix this and prepare for the final group match against Uzbekistan," he said.

Coach Lee then said, "In the first half, the attack pattern did not work smoothly. The active use of the side cross in the second half was effective. "I think if the players adjust this pattern, they can continue to get good results," he said. "Next is the third game, and I think they will show better performances. For now, passing the group stage is a priority over the first place. We will win to overcome the group stage," he said.

Center back Lee Hyun-yong (Suwon FC), who played as captain instead of Kim Dong-jin, also said, "I'm glad I won." It is also positive that he scored four goals, but he said, "We need to think twice about losing two goals." Lee Min-sung will play the final group match against Uzbekistan at 8:30 p.m. on the 13th. They reach the quarterfinals tournament just by drawing, but if they lose, they could fall to third place in the group depending on the result of Iran's match against Lebanon. Uzbekistan has recently reached the final of two consecutive tournaments.

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*This content was translated by AI.