Um Ji-sung Explosive Hat-Trick... Strong Start with Victory Over Qatar

[Anchor]

Our men's national football team, aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has made a refreshing start. In the group stage opener that just concluded, they secured a dominant 4-1 victory against Qatar. Eom Ji-sung, who joined the squad as a wildcard, led the team to victory by scoring a hat-trick.

Reporter Ha Seong-ryong has the details.

[Reporter]

Amidst a minor mishap where the buses carrying the South Korean and Qatari delegations headed to a baseball stadium due to a driver's mistake and arrived at the football venue 30 minutes behind schedule, the national team hastily warmed up and took on Qatar.

European-based players Eom Ji-sung, Bae Jun-ho, and Yang Hyun-jun, who all competed in the North and Central American World Cup, stepped up as second-line attackers to target Qatar. Eom Ji-sung, wearing the number 7 jersey symbolizing the team's ace, delivered a stellar one-man show.

In the 7th minute of the first half, when European-based defender Kim Ji-soo delivered a long pass, Eom Ji-sung exploited the space behind the defense with incredible speed and scored the opening goal with a sharp left-footed shot. In the 20th minute, after intercepting an opponent's pass, he found the corner of the net with a right-footed shot to secure a multi-goal match, sharing the joy with his teammates.

Eom Ji-sung's run did not stop there.

During stoppage time in the first half, he calmly shook off a defender inside the penalty box and opened the net once again, completing a first-half hat-trick.

Bolstered by Eom's performance, the national team finished the first half with a 3-0 lead and maintained their offensive pressure in the second half. In the 21st minute, striker Kim Myung-jun, who plays in Belgium, neatly finished a cross from Yang Hyun-jun to seal the match.

Although the national team conceded a goal late in the second half due to defensive wobbles, they easily claimed victory with a three-goal margin.

Coach Lee Min-sung's squad, which had faced criticism for sluggish performances ahead of the Asian Games, successfully bounced back with a thrilling win in their opening match, powerfully setting off toward their quest for four consecutive titles.

Placed in Group D, the only group among the four with three competing nations, the national team will play their second match against Saudi Arabia on the 22nd.

(Camera Reporter: Yang Doo-won, Video Editor: Ha Seong-won)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.