U-23 Coach Lee Min-sung Avoids Tough Path as Group Winners: 'Now It's All About Results'

After securing first place in their group with two consecutive wins in the group stage and avoiding a difficult path in the upcoming tournament, South Korea under-23 (U-23) national football team head coach Lee Min-sung has expressed his determination to focus squarely on results.

Led by Coach Lee, South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in their second Group D match of the Asian Games men's football tournament at the Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, today (September 22).

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Coach Lee stated, "Since the quarterfinals are single-elimination matches, we must choose a stable approach." He added, "Fans may want great performances, but from now on, we will play with the clear objective of producing results."

Having already secured an early berth in the quarterfinals after just their first match, South Korea followed up their 4-1 victory over Qatar by defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 to reach 6 points and solidify their position at the top of the group.

As a result, South Korea has avoided facing Uzbekistan—who flexed their formidable firepower with 7 goals and 1 conceded in two group matches—in the quarterfinals, and will instead clash with Vietnam, the runners-up of Group C.

In addition, they secured a favorable bracket advantage by avoiding host nation and strong title contender Japan until the final.

Although South Korea looked somewhat shaky after failing to break the deadlock in the first half despite leading in shots (7 to Saudi Arabia's 4), they sealed the victory with back-to-back goals by Shin Min-ha and Kim Myung-jun in the 22nd and 24th minutes of the second half.

Coach Lee shared his thoughts, saying, "I expected a tough match. Our movement in the early part of the first half was a bit disappointing, but as the game went on, we successfully penetrated the half-spaces we were targeting and created chances." He continued, "I want to congratulate the players for maintaining their focus until the end to secure the win, and we will do our best to continue playing well moving forward."

He also evaluated Lee Young-jun (Grasshoppers), who was substituted in for Kim Myung-jun in the 31st minute of the second half to fine-tune his match fitness.

Lee Young-jun, who joined the squad belatedly from Switzerland yesterday due to his club's circumstances, took the pitch and contributed to the team before even fully recovering from his jet lag.

Coach Lee expressed his expectations, stating, "He wasn't in peak condition after a long flight, but he played the style we wanted, acting as a wall upfront." He added, "If a powerful striker holds the line, his connection with the talented wing-forwards in the second line will become even better."

He further noted, "Kim Myung-jun expended a lot of energy over the two matches and was fatigued, so Lee Young-jun will fill that void well."

Meanwhile, Coach Lee dismissed concerns regarding captain Lee Ki-hyuk, who complained of pain during a one-on-one situation in the 27th minute of the first half.

Coach Lee explained, "He took a knock to his shin, but he showed his determination to play the full match." He added, "After checking on him after the match, there are no major issues."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.