"Did you see that? I told you so!" Lee Young-jun's equalizer thunders with 'shoulder shrug celebration'... Team Lee Min-seong, after conceding an early goal to China via a surprise attack, ties the game (End of first half)

*This content was translated by AI.

Team Lee Min-seong took a blow from China before Lee Young-jun scored an equalizing goal.

The South Korea U-23 national football team, led by manager Lee Min-seong, is trailing 1-1 against China at the end of the first half in the semifinal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, at 3 p.m. on the 30th.

Manager Lee Min-seong deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Lee Young-jun started as the leading striker, with Uhm Ji-sung, Bae Jun-ho, and Lee Hyun-ju positioned in the second line. The midfield in the third line was handled by Lee Seung-won and Hwang Do-yoon (Seoul). The back four consisted of Bae Hyun-seo (Gyeongnam), Shin Min-ha (Gangwon), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), and Choi Seok-hyeon (Ulsan). Goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Suwon) wore the gloves.

In the early stages of the match, while China focused on defense, mindful of South Korea's Europe-based players' attack, South Korea maintained high possession and launched a one-sided offensive. In the 11th minute of the first half, Bae Jun-ho controlled the ball with his chest following a corner kick and shot with his left foot, but it was blocked by the defense, leaving him with regret.

South Korea, which had been dominating the game, was instead caught off guard by a strike from China. In the 23rd minute of the first half, during a Chinese counterattack, Wang Yudong surged into the space behind the defense and calmly shot after controlling a lobbed pass with his chest, breaking the net.

After scoring the opening goal, China dropped their LINE to execute a compact defensive strategy as planned, making it difficult for South Korea to break through.

Amidst the challenging situation, South Korea scored an equalizer. The savior was Lee Young-jun, who had scored a brace in the previous match against Saudi Arabia. In the 33rd minute of the first half, Lee Young-jun leaped high to connect with a header from a corner kick delivered from the left side. Although the Chinese goalkeeper dove, the ball hit the tip of his fingers and rattled into the left side of the net. Lee Young-jun displayed confidence by performing a 'shoulder shrug celebration,' raising both hands above his shoulders.

With South Korea maintaining control until the end of the first half, the first half concluded with a 1-1 draw.

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*This content was translated by AI.