(Asiad) Midfielder Eom Ji-sung stays hot with hat trick in men's football opener

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- In-form midfielder Eom Ji-sung stayed hot on a damp and rainy Tuesday night in central Japan, where his first-half hat trick lifted South Korea to a 4-1 win over Qatar in their first match of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Eom scored one goal off each foot before getting his third one with the right foot at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, as South Korea enjoyed an easy win to begin Group D play.

Their next match is against Saudi Arabia at 7 p.m. next Tuesday at the same stadium.

Eom, who plays for Swansea City in the second-tier English Football League Championship, joined the national team after recording a goal and an assist in two of his three most recent matches. And that form clearly had not deserted Eom over his long flight from England to Japan.

Eom scored in the seventh minute, and then found the back of the net in the 20th minute and during first-half stoppage time.

These three goals demonstrated the 24-year-old's versatility. On the first marker, Eom used his speed to exploit the space behind the defense on the left side and then scored into the far corner of the net. He was opportunistic for the second goal, beating a pair of Qatari defenders to the loose ball after a shaky clearing attempt landed between them near the box.

For the third goal, Eom showed off his poise and clinical finish after receiving a pass on the left side of the box. Eom did not have the clearest of the first touch, but maintained his composure while faking out a defender and then fired a shot into the near post.

Eom flashed some of his offensive potential when he made his FIFA World Cup debut in June, though his appearances in two matches were overshadowed by South Korea's elimination in the group stage.

It was enough for Eom, 24, to earn a call-up for the Asian Games squad as an over-age player. The Asian Games men's football tournament is open to players 23 or younger, with each team allowed to take a maximum three players over that limit.

The two other over-age players for South Korea, midfielders Lee Gi-hyuk (26) and Yang Hyun-jun (24), also submitted strong performances Tuesday after playing at the World Cup.

Lee, typically a center back for Gangwon FC, played the role of a holding midfielder to near perfection. Yang, a skilled winger for Celtic FC, assisted the team's fourth goal by Kim Myeong-jun with a delightful through ball and created a few other chances.

But the night belonged to Eom, who was subbed out in the 88th minute to a well-deserved ovation from South Korean supporters.

He will now have a week to rest up and get ready to inflict more damage on Saudi Arabia at the same venue.