Korea starts Asiad gold bid with 3-0 victory

Korean midfielder Kim Seung-dae gets ready to shoot at Munhak Stadium in Incheon, Sunday, during the first Incheon Asian Games men’s football Group A match against Malaysia. He went on to score his side’s third goal for a 3-0 victory. / Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

Korea’s men’s U-23 national football team defeated Malaysia 3-0 on Sunday during its first Incheon Asian Games group match. The victory marked a fresh start for the team, which is hoping to end a 28-year Asiad gold drought on its home soil.

Before 38,500 fans at the Munhak Stadium in Incheon, midfielder Kim Seung-dae recorded one goal and one assist.

“I’m very happy to score in the first match, and I want to score in every game going forward,” said Kim.

In the 77th minute, Kim Seung-dae shared critical passes with striker Kim Shin-wook in the Malaysian penalty box, creating havoc for the defenders. He then let the striker score with his left foot, extending the lead to 2-0.

Four minutes later, the Pohang Steelers midfielder cemented his side’s lead with his own shot, this time netting a right-footed shot by exploiting his opponent’s blunder.

The game was controlled by the Koreans, but went cagey as the Malaysians toughened their defense.

“It wasn’t an easy game until our first goal,” Kim Seung-dae said. “And the game went smoothly after that.”

Coach Lee Kwang-jong, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s performance. “Since it was the first game, not all of our men were 100 percent fit,” he said. “Many things need to be done.”

Just three minutes after the kickoff, Kim Shin-wook faced the Malaysian goalkeeper directly, but blew a chance to score.

The stalemate continued until Daejeon Citizen defender Rim Chang-woo soared and headed into Kim Jin-su’s corner in the 26th minute.

After their first goal, the Taeguk Warriors attempted to extend their lead with crosses from the flank, but neither the Koreans’ efforts nor those of the Malaysians were effective.

The biggest threat for the Koreans was a 32nd-minute volley by Bakri Hazwan, which goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu successfully denied.

Ulsan Hyundai’s Kim Shin-wook, Kim Seung-gyu and Mainz 05 defender Park Joo-ho took part in the match as “wild card” players, meaning they are over the Olympic age limit of 23.

Fans and experts widely expected a win against underdog Malaysia. The question was how many goals the Koreans could score, as the number would influence Korea’s chances of advancing to the next round as Group A leader.

In another Group A match, held earlier, Saudi Arabia beat Laos 3-0.

Meanwhile, Korea’s men’s U-16 football team also claimed a 2-0 win over archrival Japan during the Asian Football Confederation’s U-16 Championship, with FC Barcelona wunderkind Lee Seung-woo’s brace.