Key facts
- South Korea defeated China 2-1 in the men's football semifinals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
- Lee Young-jun scored South Korea's equalizer in the 33rd minute.
- Bae Jun-ho scored the winning goal for South Korea in the 82nd minute.
- South Korea will play for the gold medal on Saturday.
- Wang Yudong scored China's lone goal in the 22nd minute.
South Korea's under-23 men's national football team secured a spot in the gold medal match at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, defeating China 2-1 in a hard-fought semifinal. The victory keeps South Korea on track to win their fourth consecutive gold medal in the event.
China took the lead in the 22nd minute when Wang Yudong capitalized on a defensive lapse. However, South Korea responded before halftime, with Lee Young-jun equalizing in the 33rd minute with a header from an Eom Ji-sung corner. Lee, who recently joined the team from his Swiss club, has now scored three goals in his last two matches.
In the second half, South Korea struggled against China's physical defense, even surviving a near own goal in the 79th minute. The decisive moment came in the 82nd minute when Bae Jun-ho headed in another assist from Eom Ji-sung to give South Korea a 2-1 lead, which they held until the final whistle.
South Korea's head coach, Lee Min-sung, praised his players for their resilience in coming back from an early deficit. He acknowledged a breakdown in communication that led to China's goal but expressed satisfaction with the team's ability to overcome it. The team is still managing injuries to key players, including Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun and captain Lee Gi-hyuk, with their availability for the final uncertain.