South Korea lifts gloom around soccer team with Asian Games gold

Toyota, Aichi Pref. – South Korea won men’s soccer gold at the Asian Games on Saturday, beating host Japan 1-0 in the final to lift the gloom after a disastrous World Cup and a series of damaging controversies.

Swansea City’s Eom Ji-sung rifled in on the hour to give the South Koreans their fourth straight title in front of 30,000 fans at Toyota Stadium, near Nagoya.

Japan was looking to win gold for the first time since 2010 and was coached by Go Oiwa, who will take over the senior national team after next year’s Asian Cup.

The Asian Games are contested between Under-23 squads with three overage players.

“This goal was in all our hearts,” 24-year-old match-winner Eom said of the players’ determination to win the title again.

“We had to do a lot of defending tonight, but we always knew there would be one chance for us, and with the right timing and right service, it was me.”

South Korea endured a miserable World Cup in North America this year, going out in the group stage after a shock loss to South Africa.

Coach Hong Myung-bo quit, but his departure did little to quell public outrage over the disappointing campaign and added fuel to pre-existing questions about how he was hired.

Police raided Korea Football Association headquarters in August as part of an investigation into Hong’s 2024 appointment.

The KFA also apologized for allegations that it provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees.

Eom, who played in the dismal World Cup campaign, put a smile on South Korean faces with a brilliant goal, lashing home a left-foot shot against the run of play.

The win secured military exemptions for South Korea’s players.

Nearly every able-bodied South Korean male is required to perform at least 18 months of military service, but the government rewards Asian Games gold medals and Olympic medals of any color with an exemption.

This year’s squad followed in the footsteps of senior captain Son Heung-min and Atletico Madrid playmaker Lee Kang-in.

The South Koreans had players with European experience throughout their team, and Eom threatened with an early chance that went over the bar.

Japan, fielding a mostly home-based Under-21 team, suffered a setback when forward Uche Nwadike was stretchered off midway through the first half with a knee injury.

Japan went on to create the better chances, but Eom made the breakthrough to hand the Koreans the title, despite Japan hitting the post with a late chance.