2023-10-04 22:33:00
Lee Kang-in Photo: Getty Images
The U22 Japan National Team will face the South Korean National Team in the final of the men’s soccer competition at the 19th Asian Games (Hangzhou Asian Games). South Korea defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in the semifinals, but midfielder Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) may miss the match against Japan due to rough play.
South Korea won 3 of 3 games in the group stage and advanced to the final four by defeating Kyrgyzstan and China in the final tournament. In the semi-final match against Uzbekistan, midfielder Jung Woo-young (VfB Stuttgart) won with two goals, but several players, including Lee Gang-in, repeatedly fell victim to rough play.
According to the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, Lee Kang-in appeared on the pitch after the match while being held by a staff member while taking a commemorative photo with his teammates. The newspaper said: “He was harassed by Uzbekistan for 60 minutes before being substituted. He has problems with his ankle.”
“If Lee Kang-in is absent from the match against Japan, it will be a big loss for the national team.His creativity and dynamism will be especially needed for the match against Japan and Korea.” Additionally, Korean media outlet OSEN criticized Uzbekistan’s rough play, saying it was “worse than China.”
On the other hand, the South Korean national team has also drawn the ire of the Japanese public many times with their rough play in past matches between Japan and South Korea. In particular, in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup semi-finals, midfielder Shinji Kagawa (currently of Cerezo Osaka) was stepped on by an opposing player on the instep of his right foot, fracturing the fifth metatarsal of his right foot.
Following on from the previous Asian Games, the Japanese national team will face South Korea in the final. Since South Korea appears to be at a high level of exhaustion in the match against Uzbekistan, they have a good chance of winning the championship.
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