South Korean soccer’s bid for a third consecutive Asian Games title was bittersweet as they defeated Uzbekistan to advance to the final of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Head coach Hwang Sun-hong’s men’s football team defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in the men’s competition football semifinals at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China, on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, led by a multi-goal performance from Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart).
With this victory, South Korea is on track to win its first back-to-back titles since Incheon 2014 and Jakarta-Palembang 2018. Their final opponent will be Japan, making it the second consecutive ‘Final Japan-Korea’ match.
It was too much to laugh about. Uzbekistan’s rough play left many Korean players injured and in pain.
It was not only the Uzbek players who used elbows as well as back tackles, but also the Kuwaiti referee Amar Ashkanani, who was not only lenient but also neglectful.
Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Cho Young-wook (Gimcheon), and Jung Woo-young were among the players who were hit by opponents’ elbows.
In the 17th minute of the second half, Uhm Won-sang limped into an opposing back tackle. Ibrohim Halil Yuldashev (Ulsan) tried to tackle Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan) from behind as he was speeding down the right flank, causing Uhm to sprain his shin and ankle.
Uhm went down for a while and was unable to get up. He was helped to his feet by the medical staff on the field, but walked with a limp. He was eventually replaced by Ahn Jae-jun (Bucheon FC 1995) midway through the second half.
Uhm Won-sang was carried off by a staff member after the game, causing concern.
The extent of the injury will have to be assessed, but the team is facing a situation where a player with his speed might not be able to perform fully in the final.
“I think Uhm Won-sang has some injuries,” Hwang Sun-hong said after the game, “She’s been doing well without any injuries, but now she has an injury, so I think we need to check her.”
Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), who started alongside Uhm Won-sang and scored multiple goals on the day, said, “(Uhm) Won-sang told me that his ankle turned 안전놀이터 a little bit,” adding, “We talked a lot on and off the field, and we had good chemistry, so I hope the injury isn’t too serious.”
Eventually, referee Ashokanani was forced to show a red card for the negligence. In the 28th minute of the second half, Abdulov Buriyev made a rough tackle on Cho Young-wook and had to leave the field after accumulating a caution.
Despite this, Uzbekistan’s head coach Timur Kapadze expressed his frustration with the referee’s decision in the post-match press conference, saying, “I don’t understand why he gave a yellow card.”