(Asiad) Coach embraces opportunity to restore pride in S. Korean football

NAGOYA, Japan — Coach Lee Min-sung expressed his intention on Monday to leverage the chance to revive pride in Korean football by securing a gold medal at the Asian Games. Alongside his under-23 national squad, Lee is on a mission to claim Korea's fourth consecutive Asian Games gold. Their journey begins with a Group D match against Qatar at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in central Japan, set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The team will then face Saudi Arabia in their second match on September 22, also at 7 p.m. at the same venue.

In recent months, Korean football has faced turmoil, particularly with the senior men's national team. The team's failure to progress beyond the group stage at the FIFA World Cup has left them as the main target of criticism. Earlier this year, the U-23 squad faced setbacks at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup, being eliminated in the semifinals by Japan and subsequently defeated by Vietnam in the third-place match.

During a pre-Asian Games press conference at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field, Lee acknowledged the harsh criticism his team and Korean football have been receiving and emphasized his full awareness of the situation.