Koreans secure Olympic, U-23 champs final berths

South Korean players celebrate after winning their AFC U-23 Championship semifinal football match against Qatar in Doha, Wednesday (KST), 3-1. / Yonhap

By John Duerden

It was quite a night (or early on Wednesday morning Seoul time) for South Korea’s young athletes as they reached the final of the 2016 U-23 Championships after a 3-1 semifinal over host Qatar. Next, is the final against old rivals Japan.

The target has already been achieved however, as by beating Qatar, these young Taeguk Warriors have booked a place at the 2016 Rio Olympics, South Korea’s eighth successive appearance. That was the major prize on offer in the Middle East but now that it is under the team’s belt, they will relish seeing if they can take the trophy against Japan in Doha this Saturday.

If Shin Tae-yong’s men play as well against Japan as they did against Qatar then there is every chance the trophy will accompany them back to Seoul.

Qatar saw this tournament as vital in its preparations for the 2022 World Cup which it will host. With a number of full internationals as well as players in Europe, the team was highly rated and looking good on its way to the semifinal, winning all four previous games.

However, South Korea was better, though they started off slowly, springing to life three minutes into the second half as Ryu Seung-woo beat the Qatari goalkeeper to a long ball from deep inside the other half of the pitch to shoot into an empty net. Korea then slid up a gear but was unable to score a second goal, and eleven minutes from time, Qatar drew level thanks to Ahmed Alaa.

South Korea’s Kwon Chang-hoon celebrates after scoring a goal at the AFC U-23 Championship semifinal against and Qatar in Doha, Wednesday (KST). / Yonhap

The game seemed to be destined for extra time, and with Qatar having an extra day to rest ahead of the game, the West Asian team would have been favorites. But a minute from the final whistle, there was Kwon Chang-hoon. The midfielder has been one of the standouts of the tournament, this time scoring from close range off Lee Seul-chan’s low cross. There was even time for Moon Chang-jin to add a third and start the celebrations in earnest.

The challenge for coach Shin may be to bring his players back down to earth. Qualifying for the Olympics means that they have a chance to take a medal and win an exemption from mandatory military service, just as the team did at the 2012 London Games.

“The first goal of the tournament was to get a ticket to Brazil, and our team has accomplished the first goal, but the final goal is to win the championship so in that context it will be a complicated game,” said coach Shin after the game. Shin, a celebrated former player and assistant to Uli Stielike with the senior national team, has already won the Asian Champions League with Seongnam FC in 2010. If he can lift this trophy then he will be regarded as one of Asia's best coaches.

First through comes Japan. The Samurai Blue has looked fairly comfortable in the competition so far, winning all three group games before defeating Iran in the quarterfinal and defending champion Iraq in the final four. The pressure is off both teams to an extent, with Rio in the bag, but a continental final between the two biggest rivals in Asian football is still a major deal.

“I had hoped our final game would be against Japan and the fans in Japan and Korea are looking forward to this match," added Shin. "I think both countries can represent the continent and the East Asian Football Federation and we will play a good clean game.”