A Japanese outlet mocked Korea after its loss to Vietnam.
The South Korea under-23 (U23) men's national team, led by coach Lee Min-sung, drew 2-2 with Vietnam over 120 minutes including extra time in the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup third-place match at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the 24th (Korea time) and then lost on penalties (6-7).
On paper, Lee Min-sung's team was superior. They outshot Vietnam 32-5, had 12-3 on-target shots, and attempted 61-4 crosses. But they cried over a lack of finishing. In particular, they failed to effectively break down Vietnam's compact defense even after the opponent was reduced to 10 men.
Korea showed a frustrating flow throughout the match. They fell behind after conceding the opening goal in the 30th minute of the first half. They equalized in the 24th minute of the second half with a goal by Kim Tae-won, but conceded another free-kick goal two minutes later to Vietnam ace Nguyen Dinh Bach.
However, in the 41st minute of the second half, Dinh Bach was sent off for a rough tackle, giving Korea a numerical advantage.
Korea forced extra time when Shin Min-ha scored a dramatic equalizer right before the end of stoppage time in the second half. But no additional goals came during the 30 minutes of extra time, and the match went to penalties.
Vietnam celebrated. In the shootout that began with Korea taking the first kick, Vietnam won when Korea's seventh kicker, Bae Hyun-seo, had his kick saved, marking Vietnam's first-ever victory over Korea (the official result remained a 1-1 draw).
At the postmatch news conference, coach Lee Min-sung first expressed regret about the process rather than the result. He said, "The opponent was at a numerical disadvantage. We should have managed the game more calmly in that situation," and added, "We did not execute attacks well against a team that dropped its line. That is the most regrettable point."
He went on to say, "We are not yet a finished team. We are a team that must continue to be built."
He also mentioned positives. He emphasized, "If you look at the scoring scenes from the group-stage matches against Lebanon and Australia, our potential is clear. If we improve our use of half spaces and movement in the final third, the team will get better."
The Japanese outlet Nikkan Sports mocked Korea with a headline reading, "Korea bowed to Japan, then lost the third-place match and finished fourth. Is the 'tiger of Asia' now a thing of the past?" Korea had gone to the third-place match after losing 0-1 to Japan in the semifinals.
The outlet sneered, "Midfielder Bae Hyun-seo, who took Korea's seventh kick, missed, and Vietnam converted its penalty to decide the outcome. Lee Min-sung's team failed to reach the podium after losing to an emerging power in Southeast Asia."
Meanwhile, Japan, led by coach Oiwa Ko, will play China in the U23 Asian Cup final at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium at 12 a.m. on the 25th.
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