{
  "id": 11365801,
  "title": "(Asiad) Football coach asks players to stay focused on final despite persistent operational issues",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/asiad-football-coach-asks-players-to-stay-focused-on-final-despite",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T05:33:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yonhap News",
    "slug": "yonhap-news",
    "url": "https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261002005600315"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On the eve of the Asian Games men's football gold medal match against Japan, South Korea's head coach Lee Min-sung emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on the task at hand. The match, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Japan, will be South Korea's fourth consecutive gold medal match. Lee highlighted the team's one-and-a-half-year preparation, stating, \"We have been working together for about a year and a half for this one match. I will do my best to bring all the players together and win the gold medal that we have set out to win.\"\n\nThe team has faced operational issues since the start of the tournament. A prematch press conference was delayed when an official vehicle failed to arrive at the team hotel. During South Korea's opening group stage match against Qatar, shuttle drivers mistakenly took the players to a baseball stadium instead of the football venue, causing the team to arrive at the proper stadium just in time for warm-ups. On Friday, a training session at Toyota Stadium was canceled due to pitch problems. The national team official revealed that South Korea had requested a training venue switch from Toyota City Sports Park due to poor field conditions, but their request was denied.\n\nLee acknowledged the challenges the team has faced, saying, \"Things like this can happen because we are a visiting team and we have experienced problems from the beginning. But we have to overcome them. We should pay no mind to these issues and just prepare ourselves the best we can for the match.\" South Korea advanced through the group stage and eliminated Vietnam and China to reach the final against Japan. Despite the difficulties, Lee expressed confidence in his team's ability to perform, stating, \"We have not had an easy match and the final will be no different. I expect to see a lot of Japanese supporters but the key for our players is to keep their composure and just play our game.\"\n\nRegarding the final's lineup, Lee noted that midfielder Lee Gi-hyuk, who was absent from the semifinals due to foot inflammation, remains a question mark. He expressed confidence in Gi-hyuk's recovery, stating, \"I had some swelling in my foot but if I focus on recovery, I will not have a major problem playing in the gold medal match.\" Gi-hyuk, who missed the semifinal match against China, believed that his performance could inspire his teammates, saying, \"I felt bad about sitting out the semifinal match. We all know how important it is to win the gold medal here and that is all we are thinking about. If I set a good example on the field, then I am confident my teammates will follow the lead.\"",
  "summary": "NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- On the eve of the Asian Games men's football g...",
  "key_points": [
    "South Korea's coach Lee Min-sung urges players to focus on gold medal match against Japan.",
    "Midfielder Lee Gi-hyuk's availability for final remains uncertain after foot inflammation."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Coach Lee's emphasis on focus amid persistent operational issues signals a test of South Korea's resilience and adaptability against Japan in the Asian Games men's football gold medal match.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Azrai hopes to repeat semi-final magic in Asiad hockey final",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/azrai-hopes-to-repeat-semi-final-magic-in-asiad-hockey-final",
        "published": "2026-10-02T05:13:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Football coach asks players to stay focused on final despite persistent operational issues",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/football-coach-asks-players-to-stay-focused-on-final-despite",
        "published": "2026-10-02T05:57:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}