by STEVE HAN | @steve_han
editor@charactermedia.com
After notching a 2-0 win over Iraq in the rainy semifinal of this year’s Asian Cup in Sydney, Australia on Monday, the South Korean men’s soccer team has booked its place in the final of the Asian Cup for the first time since 1988.
Forward Lee Jung-hyub opened the scoring in the 20th minute after he leaped past the Iraqi defenders to head home Kim Jin-su’s sweeping diagonal free kick from the right side. The 23-year-old striker, who was largely an unknown player before Korea’s head coach Uli Stielike selected him in the roster for the Asian Cup, now has two goals in the tournament.
Only five minutes into the second half, Lee rose to the occasion again when he chested down a lobbed pass for Kim Young-gwon, whose left-footed half volley deflected off of an Iraqi defender and found the net, sealing the historic victory for Korea.
“The coach just asked me to do exactly what I’ve done in training,” Lee said after the match. “A forward has to score. That’s my job. I spoke to Coach Stielike privately after we came to Sydney. He told me, ‘Don’t feel pressured. I’ll take responsibility regardless of how well or bad you play.’ His trust helped me a lot and I’ve been getting better every match.”
The final will take place at the same venue in Sydney on Saturday at 1 a.m. PT. Korea will play the winner of Tuesday’s semifinal match between Australia and United Arab Emirates.
“The first reason we have to win this competition is for the pride we have for the Korean national team,” said Ki Sung-yueng, Korea’s newly-appointed captain. “The second reason is for the players [Lee Chung-yong and Koo Ja-cheol] who got injured and had to leave the team during the tournament. Now that we’re in the final, we’ve got to win the title. Our desperation is higher than ever. We would feel hugely undone if we don’t win it now.”
South Korea hasn’t won the Asian Cup since 1960 when it hosted what was then only a four-team competition, which has grown into a 16-team affair over the past half-century. In addition, the last time Korea even played in an Asian Cup final was in 1988 when it lost to Saudi Arabia after a penalty shoot-out. Since then, the Taegeuk Warriors haven’t advanced further than the semifinals.
Going into Saturday’s final, Korea is carrying an all-time record of a 15-match undefeated streak in the Asian Cup (losses in penalty shoot-outs are considered as draws). In addition, Korea has not conceded a goal in this tournament for 480 minutes, which is also an all-time record.
