Increase your chances of going to Paris
South Korea’s U-23 national soccer team plays Korea-Japan at 10 p.m. on the 22nd
Two wins side by side… If you want to avoid Qatar, you have to win
Director Hwang Sun-hong said, “Japan’s organizational power is the top among participating countries.”
In order to increase the chance of advancing to the finals at the Paris Olympics, Korea must beat its “host rival” Japan at any cost. Korea must advance to the quarterfinals as №1 in its group to avoid Qatar as the host country.
The U-23 national team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, will play the third Group B match of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation AFC U-23 Asian Cup against Japan at 10 p.m. on the 22nd at Jasim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Korea defeated the United Arab Emirates 1–0 in the first group match and China 2–0 in the second group match. Korea, which has recorded two consecutive wins and six points +3 goal difference, secured at least second place in the group, confirming its advance to the quarterfinals. Japan, which has secured six points +3 goal difference by winning two consecutive group matches, is ranking first in the group in terms of fair play points.
However, Korea cannot afford to remain complacent even after early confirmation of its advance to the quarterfinals. The final ranking of the group stage will determine the opponent team for the quarterfinals. If Korea loses to Japan and becomes second in the group, it should meet Qatar, the “host country,” which has confirmed its first place in Group A.
The latest event will also serve as the final qualifying round for men’s soccer for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The third-place finisher will be given a chance to advance to the Olympic finals, and the fourth-place finisher will have to play a playoff against Guinea, the fourth-place finisher in Africa. To qualify for the Olympics, he has to advance to the semifinals at least. Meeting Qatar, the favorite of the four strongest teams in the first stage of a single-stage tournament, will be a daunting task.
Japan is no easy opponent, as it has to overcome in order to increase its chances of going to Paris. Korea suffered humiliating 0–3 defeat to Japan in the quarterfinals at the championship two years ago. It is also a painful memory for Hwang Sun-hong, who led the team at the time. “Japan is a team that has built up its teamwork for a long time, so I think it is at the top of the list of countries participating in the championship given its form of teamwork,” Hwang warned.
Another problem is that the central defense has a variable ahead of the match against Japan. Center back Signing Officer Bucheon stepped down from the ground due to hamstring injury during the match against China on the 20th, and another center back Byun Jun-su Gwangju will not be able to play in the match against Japan due to accumulated warnings. Lee Jae-won Cheonan, who did not play in the first and second games, is the only orthodox center back that can be operated against Japan. “It is clear that this is a difficult situation,” Hwang said. “We will make a decision after carefully reviewing it with the coaches.” 안전놀이터 추천
