At the match at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, South Korea struggled to create chances under Saudi Arabia's strong pressure in the first half at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, managing its first shot in the 22nd minute before generating a few more opportunities later on.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 67th minute when center-back Shin Min-ha headed home a cross from striker Eom Ji-sung, who had scored a hat trick in South Korea's 4-1 victory over Qatar in the opening match on Sept. 15.
And just two minutes later, striker Kim Myung-jun added another goal with a header, finding the net for the second consecutive match after scoring against Qatar.
With the 2-0 win, South Korea, who finished the group-stage matches with two wins, will now face Viet Nam in the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the same venue.
Led by coach Lee Min-sung, South Korea is seeking its fourth consecutive gold medal at the quadrennial sporting event. Both South Korea and Saudi Arabia had already secured quarterfinal berths before Tuesday's match after winning their opening matches last week.
Among the 15 participating countries divided into four groups for the football tournament, one group has three teams while the other three groups have four teams each. South Korea, grouped with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, is in the three-team group, and the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.
The semifinals are scheduled for Sept. 30 in Osaka, while the final match will be held on Oct. 3 in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 on Sept. 22, 2026, to finish first in Group D of the 2026 Asian Games men's football tournament.
- South Korea will face Viet Nam in the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2026, at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, Japan.
- South Korea is seeking its fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold medal under coach Lee Min-sung, with the semifinals scheduled for Sept. 30 and the final for Oct. 3, 2026.
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