Japan impressed most in the group stage. Coach Go Oiwa's squad won all matches without conceding, beating Syria 5-0, UAE 3-0, and Qatar 2-0. However, their quarter-final performance against Jordan was underwhelming; they drew 1-1 after 120 minutes before winning 4-2 on penalties.

South Korea's journey was quite the opposite. They nearly exited in the group stage, drawing 0-0 with Iran, winning 2-4 against Lebanon, and losing 0-2 to Uzbekistan. Yet, in the quarter-finals, South Korea secured victory in regular time, defeating Australia 2-1 with Shin Min-ha's decisive goal in the 88th minute.

South Korean players celebrate a goal during their win against Australia in the 2026 U23 Asia Cup quarter-finals. *AFC*

Citing a physical advantage, South Korean assistant coach Lee Kyung-soo stated the team would adopt an attacking approach. He noted Jordan's 10 shots against Japan, which exceeded the total shots Japan faced in all three group stage matches.

"Japan remains undefeated in the tournament, demonstrating a balance between attack and defense", remarked Lee, who stood in for head coach Lee Ming-sun at the pre-match press conference. He added, "After analyzing our opponent, we must apply more pressure. This will allow South Korea to leverage its attacking strengths."

The South Korean assistant coach noted the team's gradual improvement throughout the tournament. "We had a challenging start against Lebanon in the group stage", he explained, "but as we played more, we managed to get more players into the penalty area. This approach yielded good results in the quarter-final against Australia."

Against Japan, South Korea intends to prioritize counter-attacks and secure possession higher up the pitch, aiming to breach the opponent's defense.

Hong Duy - Quang Dung