It's no joke. To put it nicely, it's the third string.
The men's national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, lost to their rival Japan 0-1 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.
With this victory, Japan secured their third overall championship title. They achieved a second consecutive championship by defeating Korea on home ground. Korea still holds the record for the most championships with five wins but was outperformed by Japan in two consecutive tournaments.
The East Asian Cup, which does not have FIFA's mandatory call-up regulations, was composed mainly of domestic players, as the European players were excluded. Naturally, popular European players such as Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in were missing from the national team. This was a good opportunity to test the domestic players.
The intent was good, but the tournament's popularity could not avoid a dismal failure. 4,426 spectators attended the match between Korea and China. 5,521 attended the match against Hong Kong on Saturday, the 12th. Until the 13th, nationwide temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius in oppressive heat. The tournament was primarily held on weekdays, and the poor public transportation access to Yongin Mir Stadium also contributed to its struggles.
The final match was different. Despite the absence of Son Heung-min, there was a guaranteed draw between Korea and Japan. Rain began falling nationwide from the 14th, alleviating the heat. It rained until the morning of the 15th but stopped in the afternoon. The conditions were optimal for playing football, with a cool breeze and temperatures at 24 degrees Celsius.
A total of 18,418 spectators visited the stadium for the Korea-Japan final match, the highest attendance of the tournament. The Yongin Mir Stadium, which can accommodate around 37,000 people, was about half full.
Surprisingly, hundreds of members from 'Ultra Nippon' came from Japan to support the team, taking over the stands. They waved large Japanese flags and blue bags while chanting 'Nippon.' The cheers from the Japanese supporters were even louder than those from Korea.
The Korean cheering squad, Red Devils, was only half the size of Japan's, making it feel rather small. It was almost unbelievable that Japan's supporters were louder. Of course, most of the spectators cheered for Korea.
Even without Son Heung-min, Korea was composed of the best players from the K League. Many players in the defense line were capable of starting in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Korea lost to Japan at home. It’s a problem that cannot be excused simply by the absence of players like Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in. Especially seeing the lineup of the Japanese members, the disappointment grows even more.
Ryo, the scorer of the game's decisive goal, was named the tournament's MVP. He started in the match against Hong Kong, scoring an astounding four goals in just 26 minutes of the first half, and in the match against Korea, he recorded the opening goal with a one-touch volley off a cross from Soma Yuki immediately following Na Sang-ho hitting the goalpost in the 8th minute.
By holding onto Ryo's goal until the end, Japan inflicted upon Korea their first-ever three consecutive losses at home. This tournament, being held in Korea and Japan coming with a relatively third-string squad, has drawn harsh criticism as an embarrassing result. In both Korea and Japan, although the league is the focus, there is a clear difference in age groups and player profiles.
This is clearly evident just by looking at Ryo's career, the tournament MVP. Ryo, who plays for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has never played for any of Japan's age-specific national teams throughout his career. Until the East Asian Cup, Ryo had only played under the Japanese flag in the 2017 University Universiade games. The fact that a player like him scored a quick opening goal against Korea following a hat trick against Hong Kong holds significant implications.
Of course, Ryo had an impressive performance in the 2024 season with Jubilo Iwata, where he scored 19 goals in 31 matches, but his chances of being selected for the World Cup are evaluated as very low. Thus, losing to a team composed mainly of players with little to no national team experience, led by Ryo, feels even more regrettable.
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