Lee Min-sung's only reversal scenario is "Only grades."

*This content was translated by AI.

There is no second chance from now on. You can't get help from other teams, and if you lose, you have to pack as it is and go home. Only by surviving the confrontation with the opponent can we continue the challenge of reaching the top.

The South Korean under-23 (U-23) national soccer team will be on the stage of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 tournament. South Korea, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, will face Australia in the quarterfinals of the tournament at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 0:30 a.m. on the 18th (Korea Standard Time).

It is a tournament that has barely risen after a difficult journey to the point where even some mocked that they have advanced to the quarterfinals. South Korea previously drew with Iran without scoring in Group C before winning a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Lebanon. In the final match against Uzbekistan, which could have reached the quarterfinals just by drawing, it was completely defeated 0-2 after a lethargic game. Unlike Korea, the impact was even greater in that the opponent was a U-21 national team two years younger.

Despite the defeat against Uzbekistan, Lee Min-sung survived dramatically. It was as Lebanon beat Iran in a match held at the same time. In terms of objective power, Iran's chances of winning against Lebanon were high, and if Iran actually beat Lebanon, South Korea could have been humiliated to be eliminated from the group stage for the first time. However, as Lebanon, which participated in the finals for the first time, made a huge upset to beat Iran, South Korea made it to the quarterfinals. This is the background of the expression that it has advanced to the quarterfinals.

The criticism against Lee Min-sung is not just a complete defeat against Uzbekistan. In the previous match against Iran, there was only one shot in the first half, and the only shot in the second half was recorded in extra time. Against Lebanon, which was considered the weakest, he showed a series of unstable appearances in the defensive area and managed to reverse the game after losing the lead every time. In the end, the unstable performance led to a complete defeat against Uzbekistan, which was "two years younger."

It is for the same reason that expectations for the tournament are not high. Moreover, they will meet Australia, a tough opponent, from the quarterfinals. Australia had a shock loss to China in the group stage earlier, but passed Group D with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Iraq in the final match. South Korea is leading the U-23 national team with nine wins, four draws and three losses in the past, but it is an opponent who failed to score a single goal in the two warm-up matches in Korea, which took place shortly after the launch of Lee Min-sung in June last year.

Even if they beat Australia and reach the semifinals, there is a high possibility of a match between Korea and Japan. Japan, which passed Group B in the first place in the group league with a perfect performance of winning all three games and scoring 10 points, is likely to pass the quarterfinals with Jordan. Japan, like Uzbekistan, is already attracting attention as a strong candidate for the championship even though the U-21 national team played in the Los Angeles (LA) Olympics two years later. It is a tough tournament match for Lee Min-sung, who is likely to meet Japan even if he beats Australia. It is also the price of failing to pass the group stage as first place.

In other words, it could be an opportunity for a reversal for Lee Min-sung. After all, grades are the only way to reverse the strong criticism. If the team reaches the final after beating Australia and Japan one after another and finally comes to fruition of winning, the view toward Lee Min-sung could be completely reversed. Expectations for the Aichi and Nagoya Asian Games in September and the LA Olympics two years later can also be raised again.

On the contrary, coach Lee Min-sung will be forced into more trouble if he is "eligible early" without making any significant results even in the tournament, coupled with the previous group league slump. Limited overseas transfers and Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai) injury bad news cannot be excuses. Since its launch in June last year, Lee Min-sung has consistently prepared for the tournament by leaving field training or participating in friendly matches every A-match period. Ahead of this tournament, he first entered Doha, Qatar, and even held a pre-camp. Nevertheless, if the competition ends early without catching results as well as performance, fierce criticism is inevitable.

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*This content was translated by AI.