The South Korean men's under-23 (U-23) national soccer team, led by coach Lee Min-sung, advanced to the semifinals after defeating Vietnam in the quarterfinals.
On September 25, South Korea secured a 4-0 victory against Vietnam at the Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.
Lee Young-jun, who started the match, scored the opening goal in the 15th minute with a header from a cross delivered by Lee Hyun-joo from the right flank. Coach Lee positioned Lee Young-jun as the lone striker for this match.
After finishing the first half at 1-0, South Korea netted three more goals in the second half. In the 77th minute, Kim Ji-soo added a goal by tapping in a shot from Shin Min-ha that deflected off a Vietnamese defender. Four minutes later, Lee Young-jun struck again with a powerful left-footed shot. In the 88th minute, Kim Myung-jun sealed the victory with a right-footed shot following a pass from Eom Ji-sung.
This victory allowed South Korea to avenge their defeat to Vietnam in the third-place match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup last January.
With this win, South Korea takes another step toward achieving their goal of a fourth consecutive Asian Games title. They are aiming for a fourth straight championship following victories in Incheon in 2014, Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, and Hangzhou in 2023.
The semifinals will take place on September 30 at 3 p.m. at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, where South Korea will face the winner of the upcoming match between China and Thailand.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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