[Anchor]
One of the most anticipated events, the men's national football team, will play its first match against Qatar tomorrow night (the 15th). Head Coach Lee Min-sung has declared his determination to achieve a record-extending fourth consecutive title to relaunch South Korean football from its current crisis.
Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story from Nagoya.
[Reporter]
After defeating North Korea in the final of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games to reclaim the top spot for the first time in 28 years, South Korean football built a historic milestone of three consecutive titles by winning gold at the 2018 Jakarta Games—featuring core senior national team players like Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, and Kim Min-jae—and once again defeating Japan three years ago in Hangzhou.
To continue this glorious legacy at the Asian Games, Team Lee Min-sung has been adapting to the local environment since the 6th. They have issued a resolute pledge to secure a fourth consecutive championship in order to revive South Korean football, which has plummeted to rock bottom following its dismal performance at the North and Central America World Cup.
[Lee Min-sung / Head Coach, Men's Asian Game Football Team: "We will work hard to adorn (the Asian Games) with a gold medal so that South Korean football can rise up once again, and we will do our absolute best to win the gold."]
Although a setback arose as key striker Lee Young-jun, who plays in Switzerland, had his joining delayed due to his club's opposition and will miss tomorrow's opening match against Qatar, captain Lee Gi-hyuk—who starred in the North and Central America World Cup—is expected to anchor the midfield as a defensive midfielder, while European-based second-line players such as Bae Jun-ho, Eom Ji-sung, and Yang Hyun-jun are projected to lead the attack.
[Lee Gi-hyuk / Captain, Men's Asian Game Football Team: "I delivered the message that desperation must be the top priority for the players, and I believe my role is to keep the team firmly centered."]
Placed in the same group as formidable opponents Qatar and Saudi Arabia, South Korea must secure a victory in its opening match to safely grab one of the quarterfinal tickets allocated to the top two teams in the group.
The journey of the Asian Games national team to find hope for South Korean football begins tomorrow night.
(Camera: Yang Doo-won, Video Editing: Park Jung-sam, Design: Park Tae-young)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.