South Korean teams chase second straight win in soccer

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― Fresh off victories in their first group stage matches at the ongoing Asiad soccer tournament, both the South Korean men’s and women’s teams will look to add another win on Wednesday.

The men’s team defeated Malaysia 3-0 Sunday to open its Group A campaign. Up next is Saudi Arabia, which beat Laos 3-0 also on Sunday.

The women’s squad was even more convincing, defeating Thailand 5-0 on Sunday in its first Group A match.

South Korea on Wednesday will take on India, which destroyed the Maldives 15-0 in its first Group A contest.

The men’s side is trying to win South Korea’s first Asiad gold since 1986.

The victory seemed to be a fine way to begin the quest, but Lee Kwang-jong, the men’s head coach, said after the match that he wasn’t 100 percent satisfied with how his team performed.

Lee observed that the players didn’t seem to be too sharp early, likely affected by the pressure of the first match, and only their superior fitness level helped them beat Malaysia.

“We were off the mark on set pieces in the first half, and we couldn’t make the passes we wanted in tight spaces,” the coach said. “We still have a lot of work to do. Hopefully, as we play more matches, we will learn to play better with each other. We’re going to have to watch videos and break down our plays.”

The Saudi Arabians also enjoyed a 3-0 win over Laos, though it took them 75 minutes to score the first goal ― on a dubious penalty at that. The goal appeared to deflate the Laotians who had up to that point held their ground against the Saudi attack.

Lee predicted that Saudi Arabia will be on essentially the same level as Malaysia. He said he expected the Saudi Arabians to sit back and play tough defense while looking for scoring opportunities on counterattacks. He then said he will try to devise ways to break down their defensive wall.

Lee’s attacking midfielder Kim Seung-dae was the big offensive star on Sunday, scoring once and setting up another. He fed Kim Shin-wook for the team’s second goal on a give-and-go play worthy of a highlight reel, and scored one himself moments later as he banged one off the far post.

Kim Seung-dae will once again need to be at his aggressive, creative self Wednesday.

The South Korean women’s team will face an Indian team that demolished the Maldives to start the Asiad. South Korea is ranked 18th in the world and India is only 50th, though the momentum carrying over from such a huge victory could be a cause for concern for head coach Yoon Deok-yeo.

“I didn’t get to watch that match, but we’ll do our best in our preparation,” Yoon said. “Regardless of our opponent, our goal is to play the best we can for our fans.”

Women’s football became an Asian Games medal sport in 1990, and South Korea has yet to win a gold medal. The bronze from the 2010 event remains the country’s best showing so far.

“As the coach, I have the same objective as the players,” Yoon said. “Since we’re playing at home, hopefully we will do better than the bronze medal from 2010.”