The South Korean men's and women's soccer teams both secured victories in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, advancing to the semifinals.
The U-23 men's team, led by coach Lee Min-seong, defeated Vietnam 4-0 on the afternoon of September 25 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 Young-jun as the central 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 converting a deflected shot from Shin Min-ha. Four minutes later, Lee Young-jun struck again with a powerful left-footed shot. In the 88th minute, Kim Myung-jun scored the final goal with a right-footed shot after receiving a pass from Eom Ji-sung.
This victory allowed South Korea to avenge their earlier defeat to Vietnam in the third-place match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in January.
The team is now one step closer to achieving a historic fourth consecutive Asian Games title, having previously won in Incheon in 2014, Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, and Hangzhou in 2023.
Meanwhile, the women's team, coached by Shin Sang-woo, triumphed over Uzbekistan 6-3 in their quarterfinal match held the same day at Nagai Stadium in Osaka.
South Korea took the lead in the 6th minute when Yoon Soo-jung redirected a free kick from Kim Hye-ri with a header. However, just four minutes later, Uzbekistan's Diyorahon Habibullayeva equalized. In the 17th minute, Choi Yu-ri restored South Korea's lead with a right-footed shot. The first half concluded with additional goals from Yoon Soo-jung in the 44th minute and another from Choi Yu-ri in stoppage time, ending the half at 4-1.
In the second half, South Korea faced a scare when an own goal and a second goal from Nilufar Kudratova brought Uzbekistan within one at 4-3. However, Yoon Soo-jung completed her hat trick in the 74th minute, finishing a free kick from Jeong Min-young with her left foot. In stoppage time, Kim Min-ji sealed the victory with a header from a cross by Jang Seul-ki.
The men's soccer semifinals will take place on September 30 at 3 p.m. at Nagai Stadium in Osaka.
The women's semifinals will feature a match against Japan on September 29, as they vie for a spot in the finals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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