The South Korean men's soccer team, aiming for its fourth consecutive Asian Games title, will face China in the semifinals.
Under the leadership of coach Lee Min-sung, the team will compete against China on September 30 at 3 p.m. at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan. A victory would set up a final match against the winner of the Japan-Uzbekistan game.
The South Korean team remains unbeaten in the tournament, having defeated Qatar 4-1 in their opening match and Saudi Arabia 2-0. With Iraq withdrawing from the competition, only three teams competed for the two quarterfinal spots in Group D.
As the top team in Group D, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals, where they dominated Vietnam with a 4-0 victory, securing their place in the semifinals against China. China has also been impressive, remaining unbeaten and finishing as runners-up in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup held in Saudi Arabia last January.
However, South Korea has struggled in recent encounters with China, losing 1-0 in a friendly match in March last year and 2-0 in the Panda Cup later that year.
Despite these setbacks, the current South Korean squad is different, featuring several European-based players, including Um Ji-sung (Swansea City), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City). If the team secures a win against China, they could deliver another setback to their rivals and move one step closer to a fourth consecutive title.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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