*This content was translated by AI.
Lee Min-sung was eliminated in the semifinals of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 (U-23) Asian Cup. He failed to win the title in six years after losing 0-1 to his archrival Japan. Amid criticism over his poor performance throughout the tournament, Lee Min-sung-ho, who pledged "a performance that is not ashamed of the Taegeuk mark," faced the result of his elimination from the semifinals bitterly.
Of course, the power of other Asian teams is clearly on the rise. It is also a competition that performed better than the previous two competitions (2022, 2024) that were eliminated early in the quarterfinals. The problem was not just the outcome but the process. Coach Lee Min-sung's tactics and the determination shown by the players were inevitably criticized by fans. In particular, the helpless defeat by Uzbekistan and Japan, who played for the two-year-old national team, showed the current status of Lee Min-sung.
South Korea's U-23 national team participated in this tournament. It was a choice that focused on the Asian Games as we are preparing for the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya (Japan) in September. On the other hand, in Uzbekistan and Japan, the U-21 national team, not the U-23, participated in the tournament. It was part of the process of preparing for the Los Angeles (LA) Olympics two years later. Coincidentally, South Korea lost against both teams, who are two years younger. In the final group match, they were completely defeated by Uzbekistan 0-2 and lost to Japan 0-1 in the semifinals on the 20th (Korea Standard Time).
Even so, it wasn't even a losing game even though they fought well in both games. In the match against Uzbekistan, even coach Lee Min-sung said, "It's a complete defeat. We couldn't play what we wanted to do at all," he said, acknowledging his poor performance. In terms of the number of shots, it was pushed to 6-8, and there was only one shot on target towards the inside of the goal. Lee Young-pyo, a soccer commentator who was broadcasting the game, said, "The game can be lost," but pointed out the players' posture, saying, "It is not easy to understand as a soccer player regardless of generation, the way the players fight and the movement in the attack situation when they are being dragged by a team that is two years younger."
Lee Min-sung wanted to change the atmosphere by winning a theater victory against Australia in the quarterfinals, but he only played helplessly once again in the semifinals against Japan, who is also two years younger. Coach Lee Min-sung, who seemed to be satisfied with the performance against Australia, maintained the starting lineup, but South Korea was dragged around giving up the lead to Japan, who was two years younger, to the point where it was greatly pushed to 1-10 in the number of shots in the first half. In the end, South Korea, which failed to overcome the first run in the first half, bowed its head without exceeding Japan.
It is fortunate that this year is not the year when the Olympics are held, so it is not related to the results of this competition and the right to participate in the Olympics. However, as Lee Min-sung's first real competitiveness since its launch in June last year fell far short of expectations, anxiety has increased over the Asian Games gold medal challenge in September and the Los Angeles Olympic qualifying challenge two years later. Lee Min-sung will return home after a third-place match against Vietnam, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, at 0 a.m. on the 24th.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
