"If I waver, the whole team will waver." Captain Lee Ki-hyeok endured pain... "I'll be even more ruthless in the quarterfinals against Vietnam" [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Ki-hyeok of Gangwon FC, captain of South Korea's U-23 national football team, remained on the field until the end despite pain. He led the team with a sense of responsibility that if he could stabilize the center, his teammates would not waver.

Under the command of coach Lee Min-seong, South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the second group stage match of Group D at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's football tournament held on the 22nd at Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.

Having thoroughly defeated Qatar 4-1 on the 15th, South Korea secured first place in Group D with two consecutive victories and six points. South Korea will face Vietnam, the second-place team in Group C, in the quarterfinals at the same venue at 7 p.m. on the 25th.

On this day, Lee Ki-hyeok started as a defensive midfielder to coordinate both offense and defense. However, he fell during a challenge midway through the first half and complained of pain.

Despite the difficult situation, Lee Ki-hyeok played the full 90 minutes. There was a reason for that.

After the match, when meeting with reporters, Lee Ki-hyeok said, "The coach also considers me important because there is a need for someone to stabilize the team's center, so he placed me in the defensive midfielder position."

He continued, "I think my concentration became a bit scattered after I got hurt in the first half," and added, "If my concentration wavers while I am in the center, the whole team could waver."

It was a moment when he felt his role as captain even more clearly.

Lee Ki-hyeok emphasized, "Rather than letting my injury cause my concentration to waver, I thought I should take on the role of stabilizing the team's center at such times."

He further stated firmly, "Now it is truly the tournament stage. If you slip once, there will be no more chances. That is why I must stabilize the center first and show my presence in front so that the players can focus even more."

The first half against Saudi Arabia did not go entirely as South Korea wished. Throughout the first half, South Korea could not easily break through the opponent's defense.

However, Lee Ki-hyeok did not become impatient. Instead, he urged his teammates to remain calm.

He explained, "I believe that on the stage of the Asian Games, results are more important than the process. Since we don't know how the match will unfold and it might not go as we planned, what I always told my players was 'let's not be impatient.'"

He continued, "Our attackers have excellent skills, and there are many players who can overpower opponents with their individual abilities. I thought that if we just hold firm defensively, opportunities will definitely come."

In fact, South Korea secured the victory when Shin Min-ha of Gangwon FC and Kim Myung-jun of KRC Genk scored consecutive goals in the second half.

Lee Ki-hyeok evaluated, "Our performance in the first half might not have been good, but our players were able to score in the second half and bring about a victory. Since we often talk about this anyway, I think it helped us avoid impatience and achieve results."

Now attention turns to the quarterfinals against Vietnam. Having secured first place in the group, South Korea avoided Uzbekistan, which scored seven goals in two group stage matches, and will face Vietnam instead.

However, they cannot let their guard down. Lee Ki-hyeok stated, "We can say we avoided a relatively strong opponent, but I believe no team should be underestimated. All teams that have reached the tournament are strong teams. There is not a single team that can be taken lightly."

He particularly did not hide his vigilance toward Vietnam. He said, "Since Vietnamese players defeated us once on a previous stage, we need to be even more ruthless in our mindset. I must take on an even greater role of stabilizing the center from the middle so that the players do not let their guard down."

He further added, "I have already conveyed these points well from the moment the match ended as we prepare for the quarterfinals. If we work harder and our will to defeat Vietnam on the field is stronger, I believe we can achieve results."

While doing so, he said, "If we aim for a gold medal, I tell them they must run harder than their opponents and show it on the field," and expressed confidence in his teammates, noting that these points seem to be well reflected.

He also showed confidence in set pieces. Lee Ki-hyeok said, "Our aerial dominance is excellent. If we deliver the ball accurately to our agreed-upon points, there are many players who can win the aerial duels." He added, "If kickers deliver as promised and players move according to that promise, more goals can be scored."

The arrival of tall striker Lee Young-jun of Grasshopper could also become a new weapon. Lee Young-jun, whose joining was delayed due to club issues, joined the national team on the 21st and was immediately substituted into the match that day, playing for about 15 minutes.

Lee Ki-hyeok expressed his expectation, "With Young-jun joining us, we gain a greater advantage in height. We will have an edge in delivering crosses."

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*This content was translated by AI.