(Asiad) Football coach proud of players for overcoming challenges to seize gold

Toyota, Japan, October 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's men's football team clinched the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday, with head coach Lee Min-sung expressing immense pride in his players' accomplishments. Despite facing various challenges, Lee emphasized that the team's focus on results rather than quality of play ultimately paid off.

In a 1-0 victory over Japan, Eom Ji-sung scored the decisive goal in the 61st minute. While Japan dominated the match, they failed to convert their opportunities, according to Lee. The coach praised the team's perseverance, particularly the efforts of Celtic FC winger Yang Hyun-jun, who despite a hamstring injury played a key role behind the scenes.

Lee acknowledged that winning the gold medal would not single-handedly revitalize South Korean football, but hoped the players' performance would inspire future growth in the sport.