Lee Dong-kyung → Joo Min-gyu → Na Sang-ho, offensive spearhead Hong Myung-bo-ho, Choi Jung-ki full power...Oh Se-hoon is trying to win the championship for the first time in 6 years

Jul 15, 2025

The national soccer team played its first match against China at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 7th. Lee Dong-kyung scored the first goal in the first half. Yongin = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2025.07.07/

The national soccer team played its first match against China at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 7th. Joo Min-gyu scored an additional 2-0 goal in the first half. Yongin = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2025.07.07/

The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Na Sang-ho is attacking. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the A national team will face Japan with the best possible skills. However, Oh Se-hoon, who is not in 100% condition, was also excluded from the starting list.

South Korea will play the final match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) against Japan at 7:24 p.m. on the 15th at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province. The best 11 has been revealed.

Coach Hong will once again operate the 3-4-3 system. Nine players have changed from the best 11 in the second round against Hong Kong. Two players were replaced from the starting lineup for the first game against China. Na Sang-ho (Matcha) and Seo Min-woo (Gangwon), who started against Hong Kong, were selected for the second consecutive game.

In the three-top, Joo Min-gyu (Daejeon), Lee Dong-kyung (Kimcheon), and Na Sang-ho are located. Lee Tae-seok (Pohang) and Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon) are located at left and right wingbacks, while Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk) and Seo Min-woo are paired at defensive midfielders.

Kim Joo-sung (Seoul), Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk), and Park Seung-wook (Pohang) will breathe in the three-back. Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan) will protect the goal. Eight players, including Joo Min-kyu, Cho Hyun-woo, Lee Dong-kyung, Kim Joo-sung, Park Jin-seop, Lee Tae-seok, Kim Moon-hwan, and Park Seung-wook, rested in the Hong Kong match in preparation for the Korea-Japan match.

South Korea and Japan have won two games together. Hong Myung-bo cooked Hong Kong 3 to 0 and 2 to 0 following China. Japan beat Hong Kong 6-1 and China 2-0. The East Asian Cup is a full-league tournament.

The national soccer team played its first match against China at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 7th. Coach Hong Myung-bo is preparing for the game. Yongin = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2025.07.07/

Seongnam Sports Complex /2025 EAFF E-1 Championship / Men's A Team / Training / Oh Se-hoon / Photo by Kim Jung-wook

The team with many points will become the East Asian champion. Japan (+7) is ahead in goal difference, so Hong Myung-bo (+5) must win unconditionally to reach the top. South Korea, which boasts the most five-time championships, won three consecutive games in 2015, 2017, and 2019.

However, in 2022, the previous tournament, he lost to Japan 0-3 and gave up the top. South Korean soccer also took a 0-3 knee in a friendly match in March 2021. It is in the swamp of two consecutive losses against Japan.

Japan's FIFA ranks 17th and South Korea 23rd. Coach Hong will face a high-ranking FIFA team for the first time since taking the helm of the A national team in July last year. The Republic of Korea is challenging to regain the top spot in East Asia for the first time in six years, while escaping from Japan's two consecutive losses (連覇) and two consecutive losses (連敗).

Coach Hong said on the 14th, a day before the showdown, "'In the past, we should not have ' was very strong. I used to do that, too. But at some point, I felt that wasn't all. Of course, our players should play with pride as representative players, but I hope they don't lose important tactics or performance because of that. "I want you to play with a more enjoyable mind," he said, "but of course, it's an important game, so we have to win. I think our players will do well so that we can win."

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.