Coach embraces opportunity to restore pride in Korean football
NAGOYA, Japan — The head coach of the men's national football team at the Asian Games said Monday he will try to capitalize on an opportunity to restore pride in the sport with a gold medal in Japan. Lee Min-sung and his under-23 national team are pursuing Korea's fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal. They will open Group D play of the competition against Qatar at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Nagoya…
The head coach of the men's national football team at the Asian Games, Lee Min-sung, expressed his intention to leverage the opportunity to restore pride in Korean football by aiming for a gold medal in Japan. Lee and his under-23 national team are on track to secure Korea's fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal. Their journey begins with a Group D match against Qatar at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, central Japan.
Following this, they will face Saudi Arabia at 7 p.m. on September 22 at the same venue. However, Korean football has faced challenges this year, particularly with the men's senior national team, which struggled to advance beyond the group stage at the FIFA World Cup. The U-23 squad also faced setbacks at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup in January, losing to Japan in the semifinals and to Vietnam in the third-place match.
During his pre-Asian Games press conference at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field, Lee acknowledged the criticism faced by his team and Korean football.
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