There is one last step left to reach the top of Asia.
Korean soccer, attempting to win three consecutive Asian Games for the first time in its history, will engage in a fateful ‘bloody battle with single legs’. The other person is special. Japan is the ‘fated rival’.
The U-24 national soccer team, led by coach Hwang Seon-hong, will play the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games men’s soccer final against Japan at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China at 9 p.m. (Korean time) on the 7th.메이저사이트
In A-match matches, we are far ahead with 43 wins, 19 draws, and 19 losses, but in this age group, there is not much difference with 7 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses. Still, I always smiled at the Asian Games. Korea-Japan matches were also held at the 2014 Incheon Games, where we won gold, and the 2018 Jakarta/Palembang Games, and we won both. They won 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the Incheon Asian Games, and in the final of the tournament five years ago, where Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) participated as a wild card, they won 2-1 after a fierce overtime struggle and stood on top of the podium.
‘Hwangseonhongho’ has been on a winning streak since the group stage. They defeated Kuwait (9-0), Thailand (4-0), and Bahrain (3-0) in succession, and also defeated Kyrgyzstan 5-1 in the round of 16. After a clean 2-0 win against the host country, China, in the quarterfinals, they also passed the semifinals with a 2-1 win against Uzbekistan on the 4th to advance to the final stage.
While many players, including Jung Woo-young (24, Stuttgart), who is likely to be the top scorer of this tournament with 7 goals, did their part to score, there is another attacking combination to keep a close eye on. Regardless of the sport, Lee Kang-in (22, Paris Saint-Germain) has received the most attention at the Asian Games, and Cho Young-wook (24, Gimcheon Managing Director) has played 84 games for the national team at each age group.
Cho Young-wook and Lee Kang-in, who were runners-up at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, are trying to make the highlight of the age-group stage full of happy memories by winning a gold medal in Hangzhou. Lee Kang-in, a ‘second-line star’ who joined from the final group stage match against Bahrain due to his team’s schedule, has not tasted a goal, but his mere presence poses a serious threat to the opponent. Cho Young-wook, who played in all games of this tournament, scored three goals and showed off his sharp skills as a goalscorer.
In particular, for the two, this Korea-Japan match is also a ‘stage for revenge.’ In the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup held in June last year, where ‘Hwang Seon-Hong-Ho’ lost 0-3, Lee Kang-in played full time and watched the loss, and Cho Young-wook was brought in at the start of the second half, but did not change the trend. There is a pain of not being able to do it. Moreover, Korea has been losing to Japan repeatedly at all levels, from the national team to the amateurs, for several years, so the Korea-Japan match in the final of this tournament is a golden opportunity to cut off the unpleasant energy. Coach Hwang said, “I will win regardless of the reason. He pledged, “I will give my all,” and Lee Kang-in emphatically said, “No matter how many minutes I play, I will contribute to victory and the championship.”
No Responses