Disgraceful at 2 years younger! Lee Min-sung-ho lost 0-1 against Korea and Japan, saying 'the skill gap was big'... U-23 Asian Cup 'Failed to advance to the final'

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Min-sung lost the match between Korea and Japan.

The U-23 national soccer team, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, lost 0-1 to Japan in the semifinals of the "2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup" at 8:30 p.m. on the 20th (Korea time) at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

South Korea, which failed to advance to the final, will play the third and fourth place match against the loser of the Vietnam-China showdown at 0 a.m. on the 24th at the Prince Abdullah Al Faizal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

Japan, which reached the final, is trying to win its second consecutive title for the first time in the tournament. He is also aiming for the most wins (3 times) in the tournament following 2016 and 2024. Japan had an advantage over South Korea even though it formed a squad of players two years younger than South Korea in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.

South Korea had the same starting lineup as the last quarterfinal against Australia. In the 4-2-3-1 formation, Baek Ga-on took the front line, and Kim Yong-hak, Kim Dong-jin and Kang Sung-jin were located in the second line. The midfield was formed by Bae Hyun-seo and Kang Min-joon. Jang Seok-hwan, Shin Min-ha, Lee Hyun-yong, and Lee Kun-hee were placed as four backs. Hong Sung-min wore goalkeeper gloves.

Japan, which took two more days off than Korea, was definitely lighter. At the beginning of the game, Japan led the attack by increasing the ball possession. In the 9th minute of the first half, Koizumi shot right after his teammate turned his back on the South Korean defender from behind the arc circle, but it went off the post.

Two minutes later, South Korea overcame a crisis that was nothing short of losing a point. The Japanese center back exquisitely stabbed a forward pass to the front line, and Michiwaki became a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Hong Sung-min. Michiwaki tried to shoot over the goalkeeper, but fortunately it went off the post.

Until the middle of the first half, South Korea could hardly relieve Japan's pressure. Due to strong pressure, he was unable to advance to the front and there was no significant attack attempt. On the other hand, Japan actively targeted the back space of South Korea's defense by using high-quality forward passes.

South Korea's first shot came in the 27th minute of the first half. Kang Sung-jin's free kick from the left side was quickly jumped up and connected with a header, but the goalkeeper blew himself away.

South Korea, which had been pushed back, eventually allowed the first goal. In the 36th minute of the first half, goalkeeper Hong Sung-min hit Nagano's header in a corner kick, but Koizumi kicked the second ball to finish.

Japan gained momentum after scoring the first goal and continued to push South Korea until the end of the first half. The first half ended with South Korea trailing 0-1. Japan's one-sided advantage was that the number of shots in the first half was 1:10 behind South Korea.

The atmosphere did not change at the beginning of the second half. South Korea was blocked by Japan's pressure and solid defense, so it was rarely able to launch an attack.

However, he tried to shoot more actively than in the first half, with only one shot. In the 8th minute of the second half, Kang Sung-jin received Kim Yong-hak's forward pass and shot inside the penalty box, but it went out of the net. In the 14th minute of the second half, Jang Seok-hwan hit a surprise mid-range shot but hit the top of the net.

Coach Lee Min-sung made a replacement card in the early and mid-half of the second half. Kim Yong-hak and Baek Ga-on fell out, and Kim Tae-won and Jung Seung-bae entered.

South Korea produced the most threatening scene of the game. In the 18th minute of the second half, Kang Sung-jin connected a ball cleared by a Japanese defender with his head with a Caesars shot, but the goalkeeper blew himself away and swallowed the disappointment.

Since the middle of the second half, South Korea has taken the lead as pass plays have revived. In the 33rd minute of the second half, South Korea missed a decisive opportunity. Jung Seung-bae, who rushed Kang Min-joon's exquisite ground ball cross to the gate, failed to connect with a shot.

South Korea continued to push until the fourth minute of extra time in the second half, but failed to score an equalizer in the end. The match ended with South Korea's 0-1 defeat.

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*This content was translated by AI.