Without Hwang Sun-hong's 'thumbs-up' goal, U-23s beat 'hosts' Saudi Arabia 1-0 to advance to final... Korea to face Australia in final

In the absence of head coach Hwang Sun-hong, South Korea has reached the final of the 2024 West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) U-23 Championship.

The South Korean Olympic team defeated hosts Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the semifinals of the tournament at Al Fateh Stadium in Al Mubaraj, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday (June 24), thanks to a goal from Uhm Ji Sung (Gwangju). South Korea will play Australia in the final at 5 a.m. on Sunday. After a 1-0 victory over Thailand in their first match on Nov. 21, thanks to a goal from left back Cho Hyun-taek, South Korea will look to improve on their performance against the hosts.

South Korea started the game with a European lineup that included Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) and Kim Min-woo (Düsseldorf), along with Ahn Jae-joon (Bucheon), Uhm Ji-sung (Gwangju), Lee Tae-seok (Seoul), and Son Seong-kwan (Bucheon). In the second half, they brought on Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic) and Hwang Jae-won (Daegu). South Korea pushed Saudi Arabia from the start. Their flanking attacks utilizing Uhm Ji Sung and Hong Si-Hoo (Incheon) were effective. After opening the offense with a mid-range shot from Baek Sang-hoon (Seoul) in the 13th minute, South Korea came up short in the 23rd minute when Hong's right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area found the net on the right side of the Saudi goal.

After a good save from a sharp free kick in the 38th minute, South Korea scored the game-winner in the 41st minute. Uhm Ji Sung was the man to solve it. Bae Jun-ho took advantage of a mistake by his opponent and picked up the ball and slipped it to Uhm Ji-sung, who dived down the left side. Uhm split the goal with an accurate right-footed shot. The atmosphere became rougher in the second half as the opponents got into a scuffle, but Korea maintained their pace and overwhelmed their opponents until the end.

South Korea has dominated their opponents in this tournament. However, they were disappointed in their finishing and only scored one goal each. However, it is encouraging to see the team finish both matches with a clean sheet in the absence of Cho Woo-je (Busan). The tournament is the final test before the U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar in April, which is the final qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the U-23 Asian Cup, the first through third-placed teams will qualify directly to the main tournament, while the fourth-placed team will face Guinea, the fourth-placed team in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifiers, in a continental playoff to secure a ticket to the main tournament. South Korea, who hold the world record for most consecutive Olympic appearances (nine), will be looking to qualify for their 10th consecutive Olympic Games since Seoul 1988 at the U-23 Asian Cup.

Hwang is taking the reins of the A team on an interim basis after Jürgen Klinsmann was fired, with Myung Jae-yong leading the team at the tournament. "We shared the lineup and game concept for each match in advance. We have procedures in place to confirm them and are prepared," he said. Compared to the initially uneasy atmosphere, the Hwang Seon-hong-less team has been cruising.

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Pub: 24 Mar 2024 08:26 UTC
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