"Korea's Crisis of Disgrace" Shock First Runs Against Vietnam, Ends First Half Behind 0-1

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean U-23 national soccer team finished the first half behind Vietnam 0-1.

South Korea, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, allowed Vietnam to lose the first run in the third place match of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup, which is being held at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 00:00 a.m. on the 24th (Korea time).

If they fail to turn the game around in the second half without making a turnaround, South Korea will finish this tournament in fourth place. It will lose for the first time in 10 games after 6 wins and 3 draws against Vietnam.

South Korea played on the day based on its high ball possession rate. However, he could hardly break through the thick Vietnamese defense wall. Since Kim Do-hyun's first shot in the 13th minute of the first half, he has rarely created a shot opportunity.

At least, he had a decisive opportunity in the 27th minute of the first half. The attack was carried out from the left side, and Kang Min-joon (Pohang Steelers) connected to the shot from the front of the penalty box. The shot, however, was blocked by the goalkeeper's good defense and swallowed the disappointment.

South Korea, which failed to take advantage of the opportunity, allowed the first run three minutes later. After losing the ball from the opponent's side, he allowed a counterattack. Nguyen Quoc Viet received a cutback from Nguyen Dinh Park, who dug into the left side, and connected it with a left-footed shot to shake the Korean net.

South Korea immediately seemed to seize the opportunity to equalize. In the 34th minute of the first half, Jung Seung-bae (Suwon FC) fell due to a dangerous foul against the opponent and a penalty was declared. However, the referee cancelled the penalty after an on-field review. It was true that the opponent's foot was high, but it was judged that he did not hit Jung Seung-bae directly in the head.

South Korea went on the offensive to balance the remaining time in the first half. However, it did not come to fruition in the end. In the end, South Korea finished the first half behind 0-1. The number of shots in the first half is three for South Korea and two for Vietnam.

On this day, head coach Lee Min-sung put Jung Seung-bae and Jung Jae-sang (Daegu FC) as two-top players, and operated a 4-4-2 model in which Kim Do-hyun and Jung Ji-hoon (Gwangju FC) were placed on both sides. Bae Hyun-seo (Gyeongnam FC) and Kim Dong-jin (Pohang Steelers) are working together in the midfield. The defensive line was built by Jang Seok-hwan (Suwon Samsung) and Cho Hyun-tae and Shin Min-ha (Gangwon) Kang Min-joon. Hwang Jae-yoon (Suwon FC) is guarding the goal for the first time in this tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.