Defender Choi Seok-hyun on Japan Final: "Nothing Special, We Must Win"

With just one game remaining until the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, under-23 national football team fullback Choi Seok-hyun (Ulsan) emphasized that instead of placing excessive meaning on the upcoming showdown against Japan, his sole focus remains firmly on winning the championship.

Speaking through the Korea Football Association on October 1, as the national team relocated to Toyota in Aichi Prefecture where the final will take place, Choi said, "I am happy to have advanced to the final. I think we were able to make it this far because all of our teammates and staff came together with one mind and heart to tackle each match one by one."

Led by head coach Lee Min-sung, the U-23 national team secured a 2-1 comeback victory against China in the tournament semifinal held the previous day at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, leaving them just one win away from claiming a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal.

The Lee Min-sung squad will clash with Japan for the gold medal starting at 7:30 PM on October 3 at the Toyota Stadium.

This marks the third consecutive Asian Games men's football final to feature a Korea-Japan matchup.

Choi, who has represented national teams across various age groups, was a member of the squad that reached the semifinals of the 2023 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-20 World Cup, and he has now made significant contributions to reaching the Asian Games final.

In particular, he has shown tremendous work rate by playing the full 90 minutes in all four of the national team's matches in this tournament, starting with the opening group-stage match against Qatar on September 15.

Choi shared, "There is no special secret to having a high work rate. I think I end up running a lot simply because my teammates run hard alongside me, which motivates me to do the same. Although there is fatigue, I am focusing on recovering as quickly as possible."

Having played as a center-back during the U-20 World Cup, he is now shining on the flanks. "No matter where I play, I am still a defender, so my biggest mindset is not conceding a goal," he stated. "Offensively, I think a lot about making active movements to help with ball progression."

Choi added, "There is nothing special just because the opponent is Japan," and resolved, "We will prepare well and work hard just as we have done, and we will definitely win the championship."

After moving from Osaka to Toyota on this day, the U-23 national team split into recovery and training groups to carry out their sessions.

On October 2, the day before the final, an official press conference and training session were originally scheduled to take place at the Toyota Stadium, but a national team official stated that they received notification from the organizing committee that the training session had been canceled due to pitch condition issues.

The national team is expected to be assigned another nearby training ground to conduct their final session.

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