[Anchor]
Both the men's and women's national football teams have advanced to the semifinals. The men's team defeated Vietnam, led by Europe-based player Lee Young-jun, while the women's team secured a commanding victory over Uzbekistan.
Reporter Lee Jeong-Chan has the details.
[Reporter]
Coach Lee Min-sung's squad, which suffered a shocking defeat in a penalty shootout against Vietnam at the under-23 Asian Cup last January, sought revenge by deploying Europe-based players who had not participated back then.
Lee Young-jun, who arrived late after playing in Switzerland and made his first start of the tournament, scored the opening goal.
In the 15th minute of the first half, Lee Young-jun headed in a cross from the flank by Lee Hyun-ju, a former Portuguese league player, utilizing his 193-centimeter tall stature to register the first goal.
Vietnam's counterattack was also formidable.
In the 35th minute of the first half, a surprise mid-range shot hit our goalpost, and a Vietnamese player in front of the goal finished it off, but fortunately, an offside was called, allowing the team to breathe a sigh of relief.
The national team tightened the pressure on offense in the second half by substituting in Um Ji-sung, and the long-awaited additional goal came in the 32nd minute of the second half.
Lee Young-jun headed down a long corner kick, and amidst a goalmouth scramble, defender Kim Ji-su finally found the back of the net with his right foot.
Having seized the momentum, the national team sealed the victory four minutes later.
Lee Young-jun, who was involved in the previous two goals, this time utilized his individual skills to pierce the Vietnamese goal with his left foot, scoring multiple goals.
Bolstered by an additional goal from Kim Myung-jun, who tasted success for three consecutive matches, the national team overcame the quarterfinal hurdle with a resounding 4-0 victory and will clash with the winner of the China-Thailand match for a spot in the final.
At the same time, the women's national team engaged in a fierce battle against Uzbekistan.
Yoon Soo-jung and Choi Yu-ri led the team to victory by scoring two goals each in the first half alone.
The women's national team is now aiming for their first-ever appearance in the final against the host nation Japan, which is eyeing its third consecutive championship.
Video by Park Gi-deok
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