*This content was translated by AI.
The gap in individual skill was enormous. Leading with a one-man show from wildcard Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), who exploded with a hat trick in the first half alone, Lee Min-seong's team crushed Qatar and took a powerful first step toward a fourth consecutive Asian Games title.
The South Korean men's U-23 national football team defeated Qatar 4-1 in the first group stage match of Group D at the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games men's football tournament held at Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, at 7:30 p.m. on the 15th.
On this day, South Korea deployed Kim Myeong-jun (KRC Genk) as the lone striker up front, with Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic FC), and Eom Ji-sung positioned in the second line. The midfield was anchored by Lee Seung-won and Lee Gi-hyeok (both from Gangwon FC), while the back four consisted of Bae Hyeon-seo (Gyeongnam FC), Shin Min-ha (Gangwon FC), Choi Seok-hyun (Ulsan HD), and captain Kim Ji-soo (Brentford). Goalkeeper gloves were worn by Kim Jun-hong (Suwon Samsung).
Eom Ji-sung's class shone from the very start. In the 7th minute of the first half, Eom received a precise long pass from Kim Ji-soo in the defensive area, completely exploiting the space behind Qatar's defense, and scored the opening goal with a calm left-footed shot into the far corner of the right goal.
In the 20th minute of the first half, Eom Ji-sung added another goal. Intercepting a trapping error by Qatar's defense, Eom calmly controlled the ball and precisely pierced the far left corner of the goal with a right-footed shot just a split-second faster than expected.
Momentum was on South Korea's side as Yang Hyun-joon, Eom Ji-sung, and Kim Myeong-jun interchangeably shifted positions to disrupt Qatar's defense, seizing control with effortless one-touch passes.
Eom Ji-sung completed his hat trick just before the 46th minute of the first half. After Lee Seung-won broke through the right flank and delivered a cross, Eom easily bypassed a defender and connected with a sensory right-footed shot to shake the net.
South Korea's offensive pressure continued into the second half. In the 6th minute, Kim Myeong-jun touched Yang Hyun-joon's cross with his left foot, and in the 12th minute, Kim's powerful shot headed straight at the goalkeeper, causing Qatar's custodian to collapse in shock. Exhausted from trying to withstand South Korea's relentless assault, Qatar substituted four players all at once in the 15th minute of the second half to change the game's dynamics.
Lee Min-seong's team showed no signs of slowing down. In the 21st minute of the second half, South Korea's fourth goal went in. Kim Myeong-jun sharply penetrated the space behind and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that slipped past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner.
With the match firmly under control, South Korea substituted Kim Myeong-jun, Lee Seung-won, and Bae Jun-ho for Yang Min-hyeok (Westerlo), Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), and Lee Hyun-ju (Arouca) in the 27th minute of the second half to manage player stamina. In the 40th minute, during a free-kick scramble, South Korea conceded a consolation goal after allowing Hassan Muro to take a left-footed shot, but they wrapped up the match by substituting Eom Ji-sung, the hat trick hero, for Park Seung-soo (Newcastle United) in the 43rd minute.
Just before the final whistle, Bae Hyeon-seo was replaced by Choi Woo-jin (Incheon United), who stepped onto the field. South Korea concluded their first Asian Games match with a satisfying 4-1 victory.
With Iraq's withdrawal forcing a tight group stage schedule of only two matches, South Korea secured an advantageous position for reaching the quarterfinals. They will face Saudi Arabia in their second group stage match at the same venue on the 22nd.
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*This content was translated by AI.
