Lee Young-jun, Eom Ji-sung, and Bae Jun-ho: Europe-based "bombers" ready to take the field... Im Min-seong's team announces starting lineup to break through China's Great Wall [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Im Min-seong squad, aiming for a fourth consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games, has revealed its starting lineup for the match against China.

The South Korea men's under-23 (U-23) national football team, led by head coach Im Min-seong, will face China in the semifinals of the men's football tournament at the "2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games" on the 30th at 3 p.m. at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan.

This is a bid for a fourth consecutive title, following victories at the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang, and 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023.

South Korea will deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation on this day. Lee Young-jun (Grasshopper) will start as the leading striker, while Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), and Lee Hyun-ju (Arouca) are positioned in the second line. The midfield in the third line is handled by Lee Seung-won (Gangwon) and Hwang Do-yun (Seoul). The back four consists of Bae Hyun-seo (Gyeongnam), Shin Min-ha (Gangwon), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), and Choi Seok-hyeon (Ulsan), with goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Suwon) between the posts.

South Korea is cruising through this tournament. After defeating Qatar (4-1 win) and Saudi Arabia (2-0 win) in Group D of the group stage, the team advanced to the semifinals by crushing Vietnam 4-0 in the quarterfinals. So far, Kim Myung-jun and Eom Ji-sung have each scored three goals, while Lee Young-jun has two, leading the attack.

The squad focused on recovery training after the quarterfinal match, and head coach Im Min-seong personally watched the China-Thailand match held at Toyota Stadium on the 26th to complete his analysis of the opponent's strength.

China, the opponent encountered on the path to the final, has advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 28 years. After Group B matches against North Korea (2-1 win), Iran (0-0 draw), and the UAE (0-0 draw), China defeated Thailand 3-0 in the quarterfinals, maintaining an unbeaten record in four matches. In the match against Thailand, the scoring began with an own goal by the opponent in stoppage time of the first half, followed by consecutive goals from Hu Xutao in the second minute and Zhang Weining in the 18th minute of the second half.

In particular, China is not to be underestimated, having finished as runner-up at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup held in Saudi Arabia last January, so a fierce contest is expected.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.