In the round of 16, Jurgen Klinsmann's team trailed Saudi Arabia for most of the official match. South Korea could only equalize in the final minute of injury time in the second half before winning a thrilling 4-2 victory on penalties.
In the quarter-final match against Australia, the players of the "Kimchi Land" continued to be punctured by their opponents. Fortunately for the Korean team, star Son Heung-min shone at the right time when he brought home a penalty kick in the 90+5 minute and then Hwang Hee-chan equalized 1-1. Continuing the excitement, the Tottenham star continued to have a beautiful free kick in extra time, setting the score at 2-1 and sending the Korean team to the semi-finals.
The Korean team had to go through two consecutive matches lasting more than 120 minutes.
Son Heung-min was voted Man of the Match. The captain of the Korean team also cried tears of joy after the final whistle.
“A win like this will give the whole team more confidence. I was impressed by the spirit of the Korean team when faced with a challenge. Every player deserves credit. The Australian team beat us in the final in 2015, I was heartbroken. Before the match, I was determined never to make that mistake again.
I had a dribble in the box at the beginning of the second half but was blocked. Because of that, I was aware that the opponent could commit a foul in the box. That's why I was still confident in dribbling even though the match was in extra time.
Regarding the successful free kick, I discussed a lot with Lee Kang-in. Fortunately, our decisions were right, and the Korean team scored another goal," Son Heung-min said after the match.
Son Heung-min burst into tears after reaching the semi-finals
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann also celebrated emotionally on the sidelines. After criticism, the German strategist and his students are present in the round of 4 strongest teams.
“It was a great honor for the Korean team to reach the semi-finals. It was a tough match and the Korean team anticipated the scenario. We showed great spirit and energy. I am very proud of each player. Collective strength is the most important thing for the Korean team. We were able to win not only thanks to individual performances but also thanks to the team,” he said excitedly.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann also praised captain Son Heung-min: “After Son Heung-min's free kick, I was sure the Korean team would win the match. A big star always knows how to speak up at the right time. Even without a goal, Son Heung-min still showed so much. I'm proud to have him in the squad.”
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann and the Korean team have reached the semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup
He celebrated excitedly when his students scored.
In contrast to the excitement of the Korean team, coach Graham Arnold was disappointed: "Currently, the Australian team is very sad. All the players, coaching staff and staff do not accept this fact. In the first 90 minutes, we played very well until they were awarded a penalty.
The 2023 Asian Cup is a great tournament for many of my players. We were 1-0 up, had chances to be 2-0, 3-0 up but couldn't take advantage and were punished. That's the bitterness of football."
Coach Graham Arnold disappointed after losing to South Korea
In the semi-finals, the Korean team will face Jordan - the team that won 1-0 against Tajikistan in the first quarter-final. This match will take place at 10pm on February 6 at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
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