A mediocre start to 2026
Kang Seong-jin of Korea, left, attempts a shot past Rei Umeki of Japan during the teams' semifinal match at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jan, 20. Yonhap
Well, the first major soccer tournament of the year did not go too well for South Korea. The U-23 Asian Cup campaign ended at the semifinal stage with a 1-0 loss to Japan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On the surface, that’s not a terrible result — losing to the defending champion — but there was a little more to it than that.
To recap, the 16-team tournament began with a 0-0 draw against Iran. Then came the expected 4-2 win over Lebanon, putting the young Taeguk Warriors in control of the group. A draw in the final game against Uzbekistan would have been enough to secure top spot.
Instead, Uzbekistan won 2-0, and deservedly so. Korea was outfought and outthought in a worrying display. “I think I made some tactical mistakes,” coach Lee Min-sung admitted. “Also, there might have been some confusion among the players as we made lineup changes. The most important thing is to clear up those issues and prepare for our next match as best we can.”
That next game came against Australia, a team that is never easy to beat, but it ended 1-0 to Korea. It was a solid victory and suggested that the team was improving as the tournament progressed.
But Japan was always going to be tough. The Samurai Blue fielded a tournament squad composed entirely of under-20 players, already looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It was practically a no-win scenario for Korea. A victory would be judged in light of Korea’s greater age and experience. A defeat, as painful as it always is against their old rival, would be more embarrassing given that Japan’s young side wasn’t even focused on winning this tournament, but on building for the future.
In the end, Japan won 1-0 and fully deserved the result. In the first half, they were dominant — simply too good for the Reds.
“I think our players were too timid. Then we fought back in the second half, and it’s a shame we didn’t score,” Lee said. “I hope our players will use this as an opportunity to grow.”
In three of their five games, Korea failed to score. “Ultimately, you have to score to win in football,” the coach said. “We have to improve in that area.”
Pundits and observers pointed to a lack of urgency in the team, especially after falling behind. It’s another issue that must be addressed. Once again, Japan appears to be clearly ahead of Korea in football on several levels. The nation has long invested in youth development and maintains a forward-thinking approach — evident in how it used this tournament, which most teams simply aim to win, as a tool for long-term development.
There will be more tournaments to come this year, and one can only hope for better results and stronger performances after an underwhelming start.