Na Sang-ho (Machida Zelvia) demonstrated confidence in terms of content despite the loss to Japan. He highly evaluated his own performance in the second half and emphasized the competitiveness of K League players.
The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to Japan in the final match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) men's division held at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 15th.
On that day, South Korea attempted a total of 9 shots, but had only one on target. In the 7th minute of the first half, Na Sang-ho's right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty box hit the goalpost, missing a scoring chance, and just 8 minutes later, they conceded the opening goal to Japan's Jerman Ryo. Ultimately, South Korea could not turn the match around and recorded a loss.
Ultimately, it was disappointing, but the game's content was not entirely negative.
In the second half, South Korea aggressively pressed forward, putting pressure on Japan, and Na Sang-ho also highly evaluated this point. In a post-match interview, Na Sang-ho said, "In the second half, K League players sufficiently showed their strengths and demonstrated advantages that did not lag behind J League players."
Despite this day's defeat, Na Sang-ho evaluated it as an improved game compared to their past confrontation. This loss marked South Korea's third consecutive defeat to Japan. Following a 0-3 loss in a friendly match in Yokohama in 2021 and another 0-3 loss in the East Asian Cup in Nagoya in 2022, they failed to overcome Japan once again. Coincidentally, Na Sang-ho has experience playing in all three of these matches.
Na Sang-ho emphasized, "Actually, when we lost 0-3 in the last tournament, we felt really powerless. But today was different. Rather than feeling powerless, I think we actually dominated the opponent in terms of content. Ultimately, it’s disappointing, but I believe we performed better in terms of content."
This tournament was special for Na Sang-ho. After returning to the national team after a year, he prepared for this tournament with urgency. He said, "The team made a lot of efforts for my selection to the national team, and I prepared with great determination. Honestly, I played with the thought that this might be my last opportunity with the national team. It's a disappointing result, but I think I've shown everything I could. I have no regrets."
He expressed his willingness to continue developing until the end. He stated, "I need to improve on one-on-one breakthroughs, penetrating spaces, and creating space for my teammates. That area must be improved to maintain competitiveness in the national team," and promised for the future.
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