(LEAD) (Asiad) S. Korea beat Japan for 4th straight men's football gold
TOYOTA, Japan, Oct. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea edged out the host country Japan 1-0 to win their fourth straight Asian Games gold medal in men's football on Saturday.
Eom Ji-sung's 61st minute goal stood as the title winner for South Korea at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, some 30 kilometers east of the main host city, Nagoya.
South Korea have now defeated Japan in three consecutive Asiad men's football finals.
South Korean players celebrate after beating Japan 1-0 in the men's football gold medal match of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
The teams traded a couple of early chances before getting into a lull.
In the sixth minute, Eom Ji-sung, who scored a hat trick in South Korea's first group stage match, dribbled into the box and unleashed a right-footed shot from the middle that missed the target high. Then three minutes later, Japan announced their presence in the contest when Tariqkani Hayato Okabe nearly headed home a Mihiro Sato corner, sending the ball just over the top of the goal.
Chances were hard to come by for a long stretch, until Yuya Fukunaga found himself open inside the right corner of the box and rolled his shot just wide of the far post in the 37th minute.
Japan came out of the break firing, as Fukunaga, Yumeki Yokoyama and Rion Ichihara each taking threatening shots toward the South Korean net.
Eom Ji-sung of South Korea (R) scores against Japan during the men's football gold medal match of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
But Eom opened the scoring for South Korea against the run of play in the 61st minute.
Yang Min-hyeok stripped Mihiro Sato of the ball with some determined play on the right wing and sent a cross toward the goalmouth. Goalkeeper Rui Araki lunged to get a piece of the ball but ended up deflecting it Eom, who faked out defender Rei Umeki with his right foot and unleashed a left-footed shot to the top shelf as he fell.
Lee Young-jun of South korea (C) attempts a header against Japan during the men's football gold medal match of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
Japan still controlled the match and Hisatsugu Ishii struck the right post in the 79th minute after Yuto Ozeki's pass pinballed off the leg of Yudai Shimamoto on its way to Hisatsugu, catching South Korean defenders off guard.
South Korea spent the rest of the match hanging on for dear life and Japan could not put one into the opposing goal despite dominating possession in late stretches.
South Korean players celebrate after scoring against Japan during the men's football gold medal match of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
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