Lee Min-sung's Squad Avoids Japan and Uzbekistan to Face Kim Sang-sik-less Vietnam in Asian Games Quarterfinals

The South Korean under-23 men's national football team, which advanced to the quarterfinals as the top team in its group and avoided a tough path, will face Vietnam for a spot in the semifinals.

Led by head coach Lee Min-sung, the South Korean U-23 team will play its quarterfinals against Vietnam at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at 7:30 p.m. on September 25 at the Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.

Having secured first place in Group D of the preliminary round with consecutive victories over Qatar (4-1 win) and Saudi Arabia (2-0 win), South Korea achieved the best possible outcome by steering clear of the thorny opposite side of the bracket featuring tournament favorites Uzbekistan and Japan.

Vietnam, South Korea's quarterfinal opponent, finished second in Group C of the preliminary round with one win, one draw, and one loss, narrowly advancing to the knockout stage behind group leader Uzbekistan (three wins, nine goals scored, one conceded).

Should South Korea defeat Vietnam, it will compete against the winner of the China-Thailand match for a ticket to the final in the semifinals scheduled for September 30.

Until reaching the final, the team will not encounter tricky opponents Japan and Uzbekistan.

For South Korea, which is aiming for its fourth consecutive Asian Games title, this is also an opportunity to exact revenge for a humiliation from eight months ago.

South Korea holds painful memories of a penalty shootout defeat to Vietnam in the third-place playoff of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup held in Saudi Arabia last January, which left them in fourth place.

However, the circumstances of this Asian Games are vastly different from that time.

First, Vietnam has left its bench without South Korean head coach Kim Sang-sik, who is focusing on the September-October A-match schedule.

Instead, senior coach Dinh Hong Vinh will lead the team as interim manager.

Additionally, key resources such as forward Nguyen Dinh Bac have been called up to the senior national team, making the loss of personnel evident.

In contrast, South Korea—pursuing its fourth straight title following the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang, and 2022 Hangzhou (held in 2023) tournaments—has built a much more solid squad than last January.

World Cup-experienced players Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Um Jisung (Swansea City), and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic) have joined as wildcard picks, forming a star-studded roster with a massive influx of overseas-based talent.

After finishing the final group match against Saudi Arabia, head coach Lee Min-sung expressed his determination to win, stating, "The quarterfinals onwards are tournament matches."

"We must choose a stable approach," he said, adding, "Fans may want good performances, but from now on, we will play with the clear objective of delivering results."

Meanwhile, the South Korean women's national football team, aiming for its first-ever Asian Games final appearance, will also face Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals on the same day and at the same time at the Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan.

Having recorded two wins and one draw (7 points) in the group stage, South Korea finished level on points with North Korea but advanced to the knockout stage as the second-place team due to goal difference (South Korea +11, North Korea +18).

In the FIFA rankings, South Korea sits at 19th, well ahead of Uzbekistan (51st), and also holds a historical advantage with five wins out of five previous encounters.

The momentum of the players is also fierce.

The active performances of "young blood" stand out, including Kim Min-ji, who has already exploded with four goals in this tournament alone, and Yun Su-jung, who scored a precious equalizing goal against North Korea.

Furthermore, veterans such as "living legend of women's football" Ji So-yun, Choi Yu-ri, and Jang Sel-gi have evenly activated their scoring boots, boasting peak condition.

However, complacency is forbidden.

After concluding the group stage, head coach Shin Sang-woo kept his guard up, saying, "We have faced each other three times since my appointment, and seeing them in this Asian Games, Uzbekistan's match management has noticeably improved." He added, "We will analyze them more closely and approach the quarterfinals."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.