Japanese Media: "Korean Baseball Shows Top-Tier Capability at Critical Moments... Just One Win Away from Japan's First Title in 32 Years" — Caution

*This content was translated by AI.

Japanese media outlets expressed caution regarding South Korea's proven strength during decisive moments of competition.

Led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, the South Korean national baseball team defeated China 9-2 in the second Super Round match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held this afternoon at Toyohashi Citizens Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

With this victory, South Korea finished the Super Round with a record of two wins and one loss, securing second place and advancing to the finals.

South Korea will face Japan (which holds three Super Round victories) again at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow in the same venue for a decisive final showdown.

Earlier, South Korea suffered a complete defeat against Japan with a score of 0-5 in the first Super Round match. This victory presents a perfect opportunity for redemption.

If South Korea defeats Japan and claims the championship, it will achieve the historic feat of five consecutive Asian Games titles.

The Japanese media outlet Mainichi Shimbun highlighted the upcoming final match against South Korea.

On this day, Japan secured a comeback victory over Taiwan with a score of 7-3 in their second Super Round match.

The report stated: "Japan's national team, composed entirely of industrial league players, finished the Super Round with three consecutive wins without defeat, securing first place and advancing to the finals."

It further noted: "In tomorrow's final, they will face South Korea, which has achieved four consecutive titles in the Asian Games with a roster primarily consisting of professional players. Although Japan dominated South Korea 5-0 during the Super Round, South Korea's capability displayed at critical moments is of the highest level," expressing caution.

The outlet continued: "Japan now needs just one more victory to claim its first title since the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games — a span of 32 years. There will be no room for complacency or relaxation of focus for the Japanese national baseball team as they aim for success."

Meanwhile, South Korea achieved five consecutive wins at the 2010 Guangzhou Games to secure four straight championships. At the 2014 Incheon Games, they came back from a 2-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning with four runs to claim a comeback victory. In the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, they defeated Japan 3-0 to win gold. At the 2022 Hangzhou Games, they overcame Taiwan 2-0 to complete their fourth consecutive golden finale.

Will South Korean baseball truly achieve the historic feat of five consecutive titles at this year's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

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*This content was translated by AI.