The Yellow Sea sank. It missed the berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics. It failed to advance to the Olympic finals for the 10th time in a row. He was aiming to win a medal at the Olympics, but he left a regretful message while drinking seaweed soup on the Asian stage. Notably, he lost hope in Indonesia, which he considered a step down, sending even more shockwaves throughout the world.
We should look at Asian soccer with a cool head. Asian soccer has achieved quite a bit of upward leveling recently. While Korea, Japan, Iran, and Australia are still among the top-class teams, emerging Middle Eastern powers such as Qatar and Jordan are also showing strong momentum. Uzbekistan in Central Asia is also steadily growing. On top of that, Southeast Asian teams have made strides, making them stand out.
Southeast Asian teams, which have Korean leaders as their head coaches, are drawing keen attention. “Saldingk” coach Park Hang-seo has definitely taken Vietnamese soccer to the next level, while Indonesian coach Shin Tae-yong and Malaysian coach Kim Pan-gon have also significantly increased the national team’s competitiveness. As Southeast Asian players have absorbed the outstanding leadership of Korean coaches, they have discovered potential.
If you look back, Korea has struggled quite a bit with Southeast Asian teams in recent years, including the A team. At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, the Korean team lost to Malaysia 1-2. In February, the A team tied with Malaysia 3-3 after a poor match at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar. It also had a 1-1 draw against Thailand in the second qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA Asian region at home in March. And on the 26th, the Olympic team knelt after a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals of the 2024 AFC Qatar Asian Cup against Indonesia led by Shin Tae-yong.
Struggling with Southeast Asian teams should not be dismissed as just carelessness and bad luck. Considering the content and atmosphere of the game comprehensively, it is concluded that Korea has not been able to overwhelm Southeast Asian teams. They were all pushed back in preparation for the game, analysis of opponents, and conditioning. Although they are superior in their individual skills, they are more likely to struggle with their team organization. Southeast Asian teams have grown into synavs as they have achieved a generational change under the teachings of Korean leaders. 메이저놀이터
Now, we need to focus more and be alert. Japan, which once boasted of being “world-class,” is also having trouble accepting the Asian stage. Australia and Iran have often fallen prey to extraordinary circumstances in matches against Asian teams. The same applies to Korea. Amid upward leveling of Asian soccer as a whole, new Middle Eastern powerhouses, Central Asian ambush teams, and emerging powers are taking their place. Southeast Asian teams in particular are very young, which gives a glimpse of greater potential. Now, South Asian soccer should never be taken lightly.