▲ South Korean women's national football team Head Coach Shin Sang-woo looks toward his players ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games women's football semifinal match against Japan, held at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on the 29th.
Following the women's national football team's defeat to Japan in the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, pushing them to the bronze medal match, Head Coach Shin Sang-woo expressed regret that a late-game disadvantage in stamina led to the loss, taking the blame upon himself for failing to reach the final for the first time in history.
During a press conference after the tournament semifinal held at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, today (the 29th), Coach Shin remarked, "The players did their best, but the result was not good. We were worried about physical stamina in the second half due to the long travel between Osaka (the venue for the quarterfinals) and Shizuoka, and that concern turned into reality, leading to the conceded goals which I believe was the deciding factor in the defeat."
The national team, led by Coach Shin, lost 0-2 on this day, conceding two goals in the second half exclusively to Japan's Jiina Kamiya.
Having previously secured three bronze medals in women's football at the Asian Games (2010, 2014, and 2018), South Korea attempted to reach the final for the first time ever in this tournament, but stumbled in the semifinals once again.
Coach Shin faced Japan by deploying midfielder Kim Min-ji (Seoul City Hall), who has scored a team-high 5 goals in this tournament, as a central midfielder, and positioning Ji So-yun (Suwon FC Women) further forward. He explained, "To block the opponent's frequent central penetration passes, we moved Kim Min-ji, who has a high defensive work rate, deeper, and wanted to push Ji So-yun up to secure possession after intercepting the ball."
He stated, "Missing the opportunity to reach our first final is the coach's responsibility," adding, "To break through the barrier and reach the final, our players need a bit more versatility. We need to discover younger players."
Coach Shin further noted, "I think the performances of Kim Min-ji and Yoon Su-jung in this tournament are a positive harvest. The experience of young players scoring on a big stage and clashing with a strong team will act positively in preparing for next year's World Cup," and added, "I want to praise these two players for showing development."
The national team will face China for the bronze medal on October 2.
Having suffered elimination in the quarterfinals at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023, South Korea will return to the podium for the first time in 8 years if they defeat China.
Coach Shin stated, "China's players are almost identical to those from the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship. We will likely need to check our players' physical condition first."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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