Kim Myeong-jun reacts after scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 22.NEWS1
Korea’s under-23 men’s football team used its aerial strength to beat Middle East heavyweight Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The young Taeguk Warriors, tops in their group, advanced to the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 quarterfinals as they continued their chase for a fourth straight gold medal.
Coached by Lee Min-sung, Korea took down Saudi Arabia 2-0 in its second Group D match at the Asian Games at Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, Japan.
Headers from 1.86-meter-tall (6-foot, 1-inch-tall) Shin Min-ha of Gangwon FC and 1.83-meter-tall Kim Myeong-jun of Jong Genk powered Korea.
Drawn alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Group D, Korea finished the group stage in first place with six points from two straight wins, ahead of Saudi Arabia with three points from a win and a loss.
There was no quarterfinal spot at stake here. Both teams had already secured passage after Qatar lost twice. Instead, Korea and Saudi Arabia, who had each beaten Qatar, met with first place in Group D on the line.
The tournament began with 15 teams divided into four groups, and the top two from each advance to the last eight. Korea will face Group C runner-up Vietnam in the quarterfinals at the same venue on Friday.
Korean footballers celebrate after winning against Saudi Arabia in a group-stage match at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 22.NEWS1
Finishing atop the group also spared Korea a quarterfinal meeting with Group C winner Uzbekistan, a regional heavyweight, as Lee’s side passed the first test in its pursuit of a fourth straight Asian Games gold.
Korea suffered a 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup group stage in January. Its record against Vietnam is considerably better: six wins and four draws over 10 matches.
Korea enters this tournament as the three-time defending champion. It won gold in Incheon in 2014, at Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 and at Hangzhou in 2023.
In its first group stage match, Lee’s side scored four goals by leaning on the speed of its wide attackers, including wild card athlete Eom Ji-sung, who scored a hat-trick.
On Tuesday, however, the team showed another dimension by employing the height of center back Shin and striker Kim to attack set pieces and score through the air.
Korea struggled against Saudi Arabia’s aggressive high press and crisp passing, and the team's rushed attempts to build from the back led to frequent turnovers. The referee set a permissive tone on physical contact, and the game developed into a hard-fought midfield battle that remained scoreless at halftime.
Bae Hyun-seo, left, competes for a ball during a group-stage match against Saudi Arabia at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 22.YONHAP
The breakthrough finally came from a set piece in the 67th minute. Eom won a free kick on the left and sent an accurate cross into the box, where Shin rose high to head Korea in front. The center back has scored seven times in 31 youth internationals, enough to earn the nickname “sutraiker,” a blend of the Korean words for defender and striker.
Center-forward Kim doubled Korea's lead just two minutes later. Bae Hyun-seo of Gyeongnam FC delivered a pinpoint right-footed cross, and Kim met it with a header to make it 2-0. Kim has now scored in both of Korea’s group-stage matches.
Korea finished the group stage with six goals scored and only one conceded over two matches.
Saudi Arabia arrived at the Asian Games with a U-21 squad rather than a U-23 team. The tournament falls outside FIFA’s mandatory player-release rules, meaning European clubs often keep their players. As a result, many countries struggle to bring their best eligible squads and instead turn to younger players.
Korea has a different incentive: An Asian Games gold comes with an exemption from mandatory military conscription, which allows the national team to assemble its strongest available squad.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
