Seoul: With a chance to win their first East Asian men's football title in six years on home soil, South Korea failed to rise to the occasion Tuesday night against Japan. South Korea barely made a dent in losing to Japan 1-0 in the teams' final match of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship at Yongin Mireu Stadium, some 40 kilometers south of Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Japan secured their second consecutive EAFF title with nine points, having earlier defeated Hong Kong and China. South Korea had beaten those two same teams to begin the four-nation competition and needed to overcome Japan for the EAFF crown. Despite finishing with superior ball possession numbers, South Korea struggled to capitalize on their chances in front of 18,418 fans, the largest crowd of the tournament.
South Korea's misfortune was evident as Na Sang-ho hit the far post from the left side of the box in the seventh minute. The missed opportunity was followed by Japan's Ryo Germain volleying home a cross by Yuki Soma, scoring his tournament-best fifth goal. Japan's high pressing created turnovers, flustering South Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo and the defenders, who struggled with clean outlet passes.
In the second half, South Korea dominated ball possession but failed to convert it into goals. Lee Ho-jae had South Korea's first shot on target in the 84th minute, which was saved by Japan's goalkeeper Keisuke Osako. Lee's header in the closing seconds went wide, resulting in South Korea's third consecutive loss to Japan, despite having nine shot attempts compared to Japan's four.
Lee expressed satisfaction with South Korea's performance in the second half, despite missed opportunities. After scoring his first goal against Hong Kong, he entered the match with confidence and aimed to exploit Japan's defense. Looking forward, Lee hopes to improve at his club, Pohang Steelers, and earn a spot for the next FIFA World Cup.
Na Sang-ho, reflecting on the match, focused on the positives. He believed South Korea dominated Japan and demonstrated strength comparable to J League players. Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, the team's captain, expressed disappointment over the loss but remained proud of their effort, vowing to focus on future matches.