They "fell behind in terms of relative talent."
The U-22 national team lost 0-1 to the host country China in the second match of the four-nation friendly tournament hosted by the China Football Association (CFA) at the Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Yanqing, Jiangsu Province, on the 23rd (Korean time). With this, the national team recorded 1 draw and 1 loss following a 1-1 draw in the first match against Vietnam.
From the beginning of the match, China, supported by home fans, aggressively pressured, and early in the first half, Chen Jias's free kick hit the crossbar, threatening Korea's goal. The national team developed attacks centered around Jeong Jae-sang, but failed to break through the opposing defense. In particular, in the middle of the second half, Choi Woo-jin and Kim Joo-chan attempted successive shots but could not shake the net.
Ultimately, the 0-0 stalemate collapsed in the 42nd minute of the second half. Taking advantage of a defensive lapse during a corner kick by China, Liu Haofan opened the scoring, and Korea bowed their heads without being able to equalize.
The national team is preparing for next year's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games through this tournament. However, as a formal coach has not yet been appointed, former Korea Football Association coaches Lee Chang-hyun, Taxes, and Kim Dae-hwan are temporarily taking charge.
The national team aims to achieve a "fitting end" through the final match against Uzbekistan on the 25th. With no formal coach and not at full strength, the outcome is somewhat understandable. According to 'Sohu,' Lee Chang-hyun, the former coach who stood on the touchline that day, expressed regret about the overall match results following the defeat against China.
Sohu noted, "As the acting coach, Lee Chang-hyun pointed out that while there are many good players in the China U-22, there are relatively very few talented players in this Korea U-22 national team," adding, "Moreover, China has been steadily investing a lot in football recently. I find that very enviable."
[OSEN]