S. Korea defeat Japan to win group in Olympic football qualifiers; Indonesia up next in quarters

South Korea defeated Japan 1-0 in their final group stage match at the Olympic men’s football qualifiers in Qatar on Monday, extending their winning streak to three as they gear up for the knockout phase.

Substitute Kim Min-woo headed home the match’s lone goal in the 75th minute of the final Group B match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha, and sent South Korea into the quarterfinals with an unblemished record.

Both teams had already secured their quarterfinals berths as the top two teams of Group B by winning their first two matches. They were fighting for the top seed Monday. As the winner of Group B, South Korea will face Indonesia, the Group A runner-up, in the quarterfinals at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha. The kickoff is 8:30 p.m. Thursday local time, or 2:30 a.m. Friday in South Korea.

Coached by Hwang Sun-hong, South Korea earlier defeated the United Arab Emirates 1-0 and then China 2-0.

It will be the first must-win match of the competition for South Korea as they try to extend their Olympic appearance streak to 10. This AFC tournament doubles as the qualifying event for the Paris Olympics. The top three teams — the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match — will grab tickets to France, with the fourth-place team taking on Guinea in an intercontinental playoff later. This means South Korea will have to reach at least the semifinals to have a shot at earning an Olympic spot.

Indonesia, coached by former South Korea boss Shin Tae-yong, lost to Qatar 2-0, but later defeated Australia 1-0 and Jordan 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.

For Monday, coach Hwang overhauled his starting lineup from the previous match against China, with only defender Cho Hyun-taek making his second straight start. Four players, including goalkeeper Baek Jong-bum, made their tournament debuts.

Hwang rested most of his key players and saved them for the knockouts. Forward Lee Young-jun, who had scored all three South Korean goals prior to Monday, did not play against Japan. Among those who had logged big minutes earlier in the tournament, defender Hwang Jae-won, midfielder Kang Sang-yoon and forward Kang Seong-jin were brought in off the bench in the second half on Monday. Kim Min-woo, midfielder for Dusseldorf and the only Europe-based player for South Korea at this tournament, entered the match in the 58th minute and scored the winner 17 minutes later.

This rivalry showdown was scoreless after an uneventful first half, with neither team registering a shot on target despite some dangerous-looking forays into the opposing boxes.

South Korea had one close call in the 44th minute, when Hong Yun-sang took a right-footed shot inside the six-yard box as he fell down but missed the net to the right.

The teams picked up pace in the second half, and Kim broke the deadlock in the 75th minute with his first goal of the tournament.

Lee Tae-seok took the corner kick from the right side, and Kim soared above defender Riku Handa to meet the ball with his head and put it past goalkeeper Taishi Brandon Nozawa.

Japan ratcheted up their offensive pressure in search of the equalizer. In a hectic sequence during the 83rd minute, South Korean defender Lee Jae-won threw his body around in the box to block multiple shot attempts by Japan and keep his team ahead.

Moments later, Joel Fujita had an open look from the center of the box, but Jang Si-young deflected the ball out of harm’s way.

And about seven minutes into added time, Japanese sub Kein Sato struck the left post with a header for his team’s closest call in late moments.

The next match for the young Taegeuk Warriors will feature an intriguing coaching duel between two of the greatest players in South Korean football history.

Hwang, 55, was one of the country’s premier goal scorers in his playing days, and ranks second on the all-time list with 50 goals.

Shin, 53, enjoyed more success in the domestic K League, where he won two MVP awards, six league championships and a scoring title despite playing as a midfielder.

Shin coached South Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where his team stunned the defending champions Germany 2-0 in the group stage.

Hwang has worked with the under-23 national team for a few years but has not yet held the reins for the senior squad, except on a caretaker basis for two World Cup qualifying matches last month.

South Korea have played at every Olympic men’s football tournament since 1988. Indonesia’s only Olympic appearance came in 1956.