Japan canceled training the day after the second leg and took a break.
South Korea’s under-23 national soccer team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, will play the third Group B match of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup against Japan at 4 p.m. on the 22nd (local time) at Jasim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Korea is about to decide its winner. Korea secured two wins by winning 1-0, 2-0 and 2-0, respectively, against the UAE and China. Japan also accumulated six points by winning 1-0, 2-0 in succession with China and the UAE. China and the UAE have been eliminated, leaving only Korea and Japan to decide their final ranking.
Analysts say that it is easier to rank No. 1 in the matchup. If Korea ranks first in Group B, it will face the runner-up in Group A, and if it ranks second in Group B, it will face the runner-up in Group A. The winner of Group A has yet to be determined. However, Qatar is set to rank No. 1. Qatar is expected to be difficult to deal with, as it has a home advantage and not a bad record.
Above all, we must be conscious of the controversy over biased judgment. Indonesian coach Shin Tae-yong, who already played the first group match against Qatar, openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the referee’s decision after the match. At that time, Indonesia had two players who exited the match.
If Korea defeats Japan, it will naturally rank No. 1. If Korea fails to secure a win or loss within the regular time, it will be subject to penalty shootout. According to AFC regulations, when a team with the same score point tie, goal difference, and multiple scores meets in the final match, the winner is decided on the spot through penalty shootout rather than fair play score or lottery.
The key is to maintain concentration until the end. However, Japan is superior in physical stamina. Korea changed its starting lineup to three spots compared to the first and second games. However, in a game against China, Suh Myung-kwan collapsed due to injury, and Byun is not allowed to play in the match against Japan due to accumulated number of warnings. Ahn is also not in perfect physical condition yet.
On the other hand, Japan changed as many as seven players against the UAE after the first match against China. It operated a bold rotation system compared to Korea. Japan also canceled training sessions and took a break the day after the match. Korean reporters, who visited the training site to watch an open training session in Korea on Tuesday, had the opportunity to talk with Japanese reporters.
Japanese TV Asahi reporters visited the training site to watch Korean players train. When asked if today’s training for the Japanese team was over, the reporter answered, “It was canceled. Japanese players take rest instead of training.”
Due to the wide range of rotation, Korean players also took a full rest the day after the event. Of course, because it was right after the event, Korean players conducted programs focusing on recovery rather than intensive training. However, they have now secured more time to rest. For this reason, Japanese players are expected to have the upper hand in physical strength ahead of the important final match. 핑크알바