Korean soccer has been completely overturned by Japan.
The men's national soccer team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to their rival Japan in the third match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup), held at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 15th at 7:24 p.m., failing to reclaim the championship trophy.
Japan, with three wins in three matches, achieved their third overall victory. Korea still holds the record for the most titles with five championships, but they have been outperformed by Japan in two consecutive tournaments. In particular, this marks the first time Korea has lost to Japan three times in a row.
Korea leads its overall record against Japan with 42 wins, 23 draws, and 17 losses. However, since the 2010s, Korea has actually lagged with only 4 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses. Korea suffered a crushing defeat of 0-3 against Japan's national team in Yokohama in 2021. Korea fell again 0-3 in Nagoya in 2022.
The excuse that they lost because it was an away match in Japan no longer holds. Korea collapsed against Japan in 2025 at home. The one-sided support from home fans did not overcome the difference in skill between the two teams.
The claim that they lost because Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in were absent is also an excuse. Japan also did not have its European players participating. On the contrary, Japan, with a larger number of overseas players, could be at a disadvantage. Given that the players from the top leagues in K League and J League faced each other, it served as a direct comparison of the soccer levels of both countries.
Although Korea lost by a single goal in the final, their performance was not good. Korea's last passes in the final third lacked quality. Outperformed in passing work, Korea struggled after losing control of the midfield. Korea had more shots at 9-4, but only had one effective shot from Lee Ho-jae's scissors kick. Their finishing ability was lacking, and they offered nothing substantial.
Korea earned 11 corner kicks but could not convert any into goals. There are shortcomings in team organization. The saying that 'Japanese players are physically strong' is now outdated. Japan, now aided by mixed-race players, actively engaged in physical confrontations. The era when Korea overpowered Japan in terms of physical condition has ended.
After the match, coach Hong Myung-bo noted, 'We do not think we are lacking. We showed considerable competitiveness in the back three. Overall, looking at both teams, I believe our players performed better. Japan's attack did not threaten our defense.'
This East Asian Cup was characterized by a testing nature. However, Korean soccer has suffered three consecutive losses to Japan. It is serious that Korea has allowed 7 goals while not scoring a single one.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu has consistently led the Japanese national team since 2019. In their last three encounters, Moriyasu has defeated Korea each time. Moriyasu stated, 'Japan has three consecutive wins, but two of those victories were under the previous coach (Paulo Bento) who led Korea. Korea is physically strong and has good skill. Technically, they are fast and powerful. I do not wish to share Korea's weaknesses,' showing respect for the opponent.
Korea's strengths were indeed mentioned in terms of physical condition and speed. The fundamentals, such as precise passing and ball retention like those of Japanese players, are very lacking. The hardware is good, but the software has not been upgraded.
Coach Hong Myung-bo pointed out, 'To be honest, the education of learning soccer from a young age is different in Japan. There are inevitable aspects in Korea. Japan has consistently maintained coherence since the 1990s, regardless of wins or losses. Korean soccer as a whole needs a lot of effort.'
[OSEN]