Japanese media warns: "Korean baseball shows top-tier capability at critical moments... just one win away from Japan's first championship in 32 years"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Japanese media outlets expressed concern over South Korea's demonstrated strength during decisive moments.

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 at Toyohashi Citizens Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 26th.

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 (who have three wins in the Super Round) again in a decisive match at the same venue on the afternoon of the 27th at 6:30 p.m.

Earlier, South Korea suffered a heavy 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 wins the championship, they will achieve the remarkable 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 with a score of 7-3 against Taiwan in their second Super Round match.

The report stated that "Japan's national team, composed of corporate league players, finished the Super Round with three wins and no losses, securing first place and advancing to the finals."

It further noted, "In tomorrow's final, they will face South Korea, which has won four consecutive Asian Games titles with a lineup primarily consisting of professional players. Although Japan defeated South Korea 5-0 in the Super Round, South Korea's ability to perform at the highest level during critical moments is formidable."

The media continued, "Japan now needs just one more victory to reclaim the championship for the first time 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. In the 2014 Incheon Games, they came back from a 2-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning with four runs to win the title. At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, they defeated Japan 3-0 to claim the gold medal. In the 2022 Hangzhou Games, they dominated Taiwan 2-0, completing their fourth consecutive gold medal finale.

Will South Korean baseball be able to 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.View Original