The pain of South Korea, which failed to participate in the Olympics for the first time in 40 years, was foreseen.
South Korea’s U-23 Olympic team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, faced Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup and the final Asian qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 2:30 a.m. on the 26th (Korea time).
The two teams were tied for the winner in extra time after finishing the regular session 2-2. The final winner was Indonesia. Korea was eliminated from the competition, losing 10-11 in the shootout.
As a result, Korean soccer will no longer be able to compete in the Paris Olympics. This event was the eighth ridge line to go to Paris. The third place finisher in the Olympics will advance to the finals, and the fourth place finisher will qualify for the intercontinental playoff against the African Guineas. Once they advance to the semifinals, they can secure a berth to the finals.
However, Korea failed to advance to the Olympics finals for the 10th consecutive time in the world after completing its journey in the quarterfinals. It is the first time in 40 years that Korean soccer has failed to compete in the Olympics since the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.
Korea has lost what it once boasted. From the 1988 Seoul Olympics to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Korea advanced to the Olympic finals, becoming the first country in the world to participate in nine consecutive Olympics. However, Hwang Sun-hong’s shocking loss ended in glory. It is also the first time that Korea lost to Indonesia in the U-23 age group.
The KFA has launched a search for the next coach, setting up a new power reinforcement committee under the leadership of Chairman Chung Hae-sung. The power reinforcement committee put weight on the official appointment of a Korean coach, but decided to set up an A-match in March under the leadership of an interim head coach in the face of strong opposition. Surprisingly, the interim head coach was Hwang Sun-hong, who is set to advance to the Olympic finals.
Coach Hwang will take the helm of the A-team after vacating his most important post. The U-23 team had to play the Western Asian Football Confederation (WAFF) U-23 Championship, which was the final mock test, without being named the head of the team. As all-out efforts to qualify for the Olympics would not be enough, Coach Hwang had no choice but to prepare for the two competitions at the same time, paying attention to the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.
Coach Hwang had some tangible results for the A team. Despite the disappointment with Thailand at home, he ended his role successfully with a landslide 3-0 win in an away match in Thailand.
However, the team failed to advance to the Olympic finals, which was the most important goal. The KFA’s excessive decision has turned into a poison. In return, Korean soccer will no longer be able to continue its 40-year history of advancing to the Olympics
What kind of responsibility can Chairman Chung Hae-sung take? When he announced the appointment of Hwang Sun-hong as interim coach in March, he did not give in to criticism. He said he judged that he could handle the two national teams well enough, adding, “It is not a shift of responsibility. If the result is negative, I will take full responsibility.”
Now, the result has been made. No one can deny that it was the negative result that Chairman Chung Hae-sung was referring to. How will he take full responsibility? The quadrennial failure to advance to the Olympic finals is not a problem that can be solved simply by Chung stepping down. 메이저사이트
On the other hand, Coach Shin Tae-yong, who has become Indonesia’s hero, told Korean media, “My honest feeling is that if Korea advances to the World Cup for 10 consecutive times, it will be an unbreakable record in the world forever. I also made it to the World Cup for the eighth time in a row at this stadium. I wish Coach Hwang Sun-hong would set a new record.”