[Official] "The one who was bound to come has arrived": Asian Games football final set as a Korea-Japan showdown; fateful clash on the 3rd of next month [Aichi-Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The men's football final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games will be a Korea-Japan showdown.

South Korea, led by head coach Lee Min-seong, defeated China 2-1 in the men's football semifinal on the 30th at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan.

Trailing after conceding the opening goal to Wang Yidong (Zhejiang FC) in the 22nd minute of the first half, South Korea equalized through Lee Young-jun (Grasshopper Club Zurich) in the 33rd minute of the first half and secured victory with a go-ahead goal by Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) in the 37th minute of the second half.

With this win, South Korean football has advanced to the Asian Games final for four consecutive tournaments since the 2014 Incheon Games. Having won the gold medal every time they reached the final, the team will challenge for a fourth consecutive title in men's football at this tournament.

The final opponent was confirmed as host nation Japan. Japan defeated Uzbekistan, another contender for the title, on penalty kicks in a match held immediately afterward at the same venue.

Japan, which fell behind after conceding an early goal in the 8th minute of the first half, launched a relentless offensive but struggled to equalize as they were repeatedly thwarted by spectacular saves from the opposing goalkeeper.

However, Japan leveled the score with a header following a cross from the flank in the 43rd minute of the second half. After failing to decide the match during extra time, the two teams headed to penalty kicks to determine which team would advance to the final.

The penalty shootout was intense. Uzbekistan's second kicker missed first, giving Japan an advantage, but Japan's fourth kicker also saw his shot hit the post and miss the target.

The penalty shootout remained fiercely contested even after entering sudden death. With the score tied at 8-8, the fates of the two teams were decided on the ninth kick. Japan's kicker sent the ball into the net, while Uzbekistan's shot struck the crossbar.

The highly anticipated men's football final, which will be a Korea-Japan showdown, will be held at Toyota Stadium in Japan at 7:30 p.m. on the 3rd of next month.

In the all-time head-to-head record between U23 national teams, South Korea holds a slight edge over Japan with eight wins, four draws, and seven losses. However, when head coach Lee Min-seong took charge, South Korea lost 0-1 to Japan at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup in January of this year.

Winning a gold medal in men's football grants an exemption from military service. South Korea is fielding its under-23 (U23) national team, including three wild cards (players aged 24 and older), while Japan entered the tournament with its under-21 (U21) national team without any wild cards.

The bronze medal match will be a showdown between Uzbekistan and China.

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*This content was translated by AI.