South Korea's U-23 men face Vietnam in Asian Games quarterfinal

South Korea's under-23 men's football team will face Vietnam in a quarterfinal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with a semifinal berth on the line.

The squad, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, takes on Vietnam at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.

South Korea topped Group D in the group stage, defeating Qatar 4-1 and Saudi Arabia 2-0 to finish with a perfect two-win record. The results secured the best possible bracket outcome — avoiding title contenders Uzbekistan and Japan until at least the final.

Vietnam advanced from Group C as runners-up, finishing with one win, one draw and one loss behind Uzbekistan, which swept all three group matches and outscored opponents 9-1. Vietnam's prospects are further complicated by the absence of head coach Kim Sang-sik, a South Korean, who stepped away to focus on the senior national team's A-match schedule in September and October — a gap expected to affect the side's tactical cohesion.

If South Korea beats Vietnam, they will face the winner of the China-Thailand match in the semifinal on Sept. 30 for a place in the final.

South Korea is chasing a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, having won the title at the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games, and the squad is considered stronger than ever. World Cup veterans Lee Ki-hyeok of Gangwon Province, Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City and Yang Hyun-jun of Celtic joined as wildcard selections, bolstering a roster already stacked with overseas-based players.

After the final group-stage match against Saudi Arabia, Head Coach Lee said the team would shift its focus squarely to results. "From the quarterfinals onward, it's a knockout tournament. We have to choose the safe approach," he said. "Fans may want to see attractive football, but from here on we will play with a clear purpose — to get results."

Meanwhile, the South Korean women's team is also in action Friday, seeking to reach the first Asian Games final in the program's history. They face Uzbekistan in a quarterfinal at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, at the same time.

South Korea finished the group stage with two wins and a draw for seven points, level with North Korea, but advanced as runners-up after losing out on goal difference — South Korea's was plus-11 against North Korea's plus-18.

South Korea hold a significant edge on paper: they are ranked 19th by FIFA, well ahead of Uzbekistan at 51st, and have won all five previous meetings between the two sides.