▲ South Korean midfielder Ji So-yun dribbles the ball during the women's football semifinal match against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Shinjuku Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on September 29.
"I thought this was our real chance to reach the final. It feels like we lost without putting up much of a fight."
Ji So-yun (Suwon FC Women), a living legend of South Korean women's football, could not hide her sense of emptiness after failing to reach the final stage in what she considered her last Asian Games.
The South Korean women's national football team was relegated to the bronze medal match after losing 0-2 to Japan in the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on September 29.
Having achieved bronze medals as their best historical performance at the Asian Games (in 2010, 2014, and 2018), the South Korean women's team strived to secure a different color of medal this time, but ultimately failed to overcome the hurdle of Japan.
Reaching the Asian Games final was a long-cherished wish for Ji, who has competed in six consecutive Asian Games starting from the 2006 Doha tournament, but her dream remained unfulfilled even after 20 years of challenging.
Meeting with reporters after the match, Ji reflected, "Our skills fell short. We shouldn't have lost to this roster of Japan, which makes it even more disappointing."
Japan, which won consecutive titles at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games (held in 2023), comfortably advanced to the final in this tournament even while forming their squad exclusively with domestic-based players.
South Korea has not won a head-to-head match against the Japanese women's national team since 2015.
Ji offered a cold assessment: "While we were missing some overseas-based players, Japan was also composed entirely of domestic players. Yet Japan excels in a certain composure, seemingly playing with the ball. I think it's because the systems they learn from childhood are different. There is a difference in ball-handling skills, and Japanese players are also superior in intelligence. It feels like we just run hard."
She continued, "I don't want to make excuses about the long-distance travel [between the quarterfinals and semifinals]. Whether it was due to the continuous rain or tension, my body felt heavy overall. Since we tend to feel intimidated when playing against Japan, the veteran players should have led better, but we fell short."
Ahead of this tournament, Ji had drawn a line in the sand, declaring that this would be her last Asian Games and that she would reach the final and aim for the gold medal. She reaffirmed her stance, saying, "In four years, I will be 39, and I won't be able to play anymore."
Seeming to experience a myriad of emotions as she spoke with reporters, she occasionally choked up and her eyes appeared slightly red when discussing her "last Asian Games."
Regarding the bronze medal match against China on October 2, Ji emphasized, "Since it's the last one, I want to end it with a smile. I hope we can leave on a good note. China is not an easy opponent either. We need to recover well and remain fully focused until the very end, no matter which players step onto the pitch."
When asked, "What do you think is necessary to break through the barrier toward the Asian Games final?" she firmly stated, "Ultimately, individual skills need to improve. That becomes the strength of the team when 11 players come together."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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