*This content was translated by AI.
The level of competition was simply no match. Eom Ji-seong (Swansea City) completed a hat trick with a one-man show, netting three goals in the first half alone.
The South Korean men's U-23 national team, led by coach Lee Min-sung, dominated the first half 3-0 against Qatar in their Group D opener of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's football tournament at Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on the afternoon of the 15th at 7:30 p.m., thanks to Eom Ji-seong's explosive hat trick.
Eom Ji-seong, who plays in England's Championship (second division), possessed enough class to completely dismantle Qatar's defense. The scoring opened just seven minutes into the first half. Receiving a precise long pass from defender Kim Ji-soo (Brentford) who launched it directly from deep, Eom exploited the space behind Qatar's defense and calmly finished with a left-footed shot for the opening goal.
Eom added another goal in the 20th minute of the first half. Capitalizing on a sloppy trap by Qatar's defenders, he intercepted the ball, maintained calm control, and fired a right-footed shot just half a beat faster than expected, precisely into the far left corner of the net.
Even after taking a two-goal lead, South Korea did not ease up, relentlessly pressing their opponents. The attacking trio of Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic FC), Eom Ji-seong, and Kim Myeong-jun (KRC Genk) at the front seamlessly interchanged positions, freely targeting both the flanks and central areas of Qatar's defense. With fluid one-touch passing sequences coming alive, they completely seized control of the match.
He capped off the first half with a hat trick. In the 46th minute of the first half, Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC) broke down the right flank and delivered a sharp cross into the box. Inside the penalty area, Eom Ji-seong easily evaded a defender before curling a skillful right-footed shot into the left side of the goal for his third strike. Sweeping up three goals within just 45 minutes of play, he demonstrated a level of ability far beyond his opponents.
On this day, South Korea deployed Kim Myeong-jun as the lone striker, with a second line built around overseas-based players including Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Hyun-jun, and Eom Ji-seong. The midfield was anchored by Lee Seung-won and Lee Gi-hyeok (Gangwon FC), while the back four consisted of Bae Hyeon-seo (Gyeongnam FC), Shin Min-ha (Gangwon FC), Choi Seok-hyun (Ulsan HD), and Kim Ji-soo. Goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Suwon Samsung) guarded the net.
Aiming for a fourth consecutive tournament title, coach Lee Min-sung's squad faced a tight group stage schedule with only two matches to play after Iraq withdrew. From the very first match, wildcard Eom Ji-seong unleashed his extraordinary power by recording a hat trick in the first half alone, completely overpowering Qatar.
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*This content was translated by AI.
