The Korean Asian Games soccer team is headed to Hangzhou to face China after defeating Kyrgyzstan in the Round of 16.
The Korean National Football Team defeated Kyrgyzstan 5-1 in the Round of 16 at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sunday afternoon at the Jinhua Sports Center Stadium in Zhejiang, China, thanks to relay goals from Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk) in the first half, Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) in the second half, and Cho Young-wook (Gimcheon) and Hong Hyun-seok (Hent) in the third. With the victory, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the third straight time. They will face hosts China in the quarterfinals. They beat Qatar 1-0 at the same time. They will play for a semifinal ticket in Hangzhou on October 1. There were 18,393 fans at the stadium to watch Korea advance to the quarterfinals.
Head coach Hwang Sun-hong brought out a 4-2-3-1 system. Park Jae-yong (Jeonbuk) started up top, with Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan) in the second line. In the defensive midfield, “Captain” Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk) and Jung Ho-yeon (Gwangju) partnered together.
Hwang Jae-won (Daegu), Kim Tae-hyun (Vegalta Sendai), Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk), and Seol Young-woo (Ulsan) lined up in the back four, with Lee Kwang-yeon (Gangwon) in goal.
Kyrgyzstan recognized their disadvantage and dropped deep from the start. They deployed a net defense with five backs. The Taegeuk Warriors increased their numbers in the opponent’s zone with both fullbacks actively participating in the attack.
The first shot was taken by left fullback Seol Young-woo. Seol opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area. Lee Kang-in was used in a free-role role to maximize creative play. Jung Woo-young’s powerful right-footed shot in the eighth minute of the first half was the work of Lee Kang-in.
With the early lead, the goal parade began in earnest. The first goal came in the 11th minute. Baek Seung-ho calmly converted a penalty kick earned by Seol Young-woo.
A minute later, Jung Woo-young shined. She rattled the net with a header off a cross from Uhm Won-sang. It was Jung’s fourth goal of the tournament. The pressure was on. When Kyrgyzstan got the ball, they wasted no time in applying intense pressure, which led to their second goal.
Park Jae-yong, a long striker in the 1.90s, used his height to lighten his step with post play and the power to lift the defense. Kyrgyzstan didn’t change their game plan after conceding the two goals. They focused on their manpower. They were busy stopping the Taegeuk Warriors with fouls.
However, a costly mistake cost them their first goal of the tournament. In the 28th minute, Baek Seung-ho’s poor ball handling was the culprit. After winning the ball, Aligulov found himself one-on-one with Lee Kwang-yeon, and it went straight to the goal.
Lee Kang-in’s ‘masterpiece pass’ was not to be. In the 32nd minute, he sent a flawless roving pass to Jung Woo-young, who cut in from behind. Jung Woo-young rattled the net again, but the assistant referee called him offside. It was a disappointing moment that could have been different with a video assistant referee (VAR).
Lee Kang-in sent shivers down the spines of the opposition with an artistic out-front cross in the 36th minute. Park Jae-yong rose to meet it, but was inches short. Just before halftime, Lee Kang-in’s cross found the head of Jung Woo-young once again, but he was unable to find the back of the net.
At the start of the second half, Hwang brought on Park Jae-yong and Jung Ho-yeon and introduced Cho Young-wook and Hong Hyun-seok, seemingly deciding that changes were needed in the front and midfield after reviewing the first half. A jittery Baek Seung-ho fired a mid-range shot at Hoesim in the third minute, but it sailed over the bar.
However, South Korea came close to equalizing in the seventh minute of the second half. A pass into the back of the Korean defense caught the defense off guard. Aligulov took advantage of the opportunity and tried his luck with a right-footed shot, but Lee Kwang-yeon calmly saved it. In the eighth minute, Lee Kang-in’s cross was headed in by Cho Young-wook in front of goal. The ball didn’t quite hit his forehead and went over the bar. In the 11th minute, South Korea attacked and Hwang Jae-won took an ambitious shot from outside the box. The ball sailed powerlessly into the goalkeeper’s arms, as did Baek Seung-ho’s no-mark header in the 25th minute.
Hwang made a premeditated move 15 minutes into the second half, an hour into the game, by bringing on Lee Kang-in and substituting Ko Young-joon. It was explained as a conditioning move.
The third goal came in the 29th minute. Seol Young-woo crossed from the right near the opponent’s box and the ball hit the hands of Kyrgyz defender Bekverdinov. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, and Jung Woo-young stepped up to take the spot kick and rattled the net.
The firepower of Hwang Sun-hong, who scored a total of 16 goals in three group games, exploded once again. He opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a calm right-footed shot when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper after receiving a sharp pass from Ko Young-joon.바카라사이트
Kyrgyzstan was stunned. South Korea added another goal in the 39th minute. This time, Hong Hyun-seok finished off a pass from Song Min-gyu to Ahn Jae-joon. The game ended with a four-goal victory for South Korea.