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Son Heung-Min

Yes, they won 3-1.

A few interesting points when comparing Japan and South Korea.

Many have assumed that SK had the easier path to the final. That's not really the case.
- South Korea have beaten Uzbekistan and Vietnam, the reigning u-23 AFC champions from earlier this year, and Vietnam, the runners up. This would be the same as the European U-23 championships.
- Japan went out with a 4-0 loss to Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals in that tournament. They lost to Vietnam in the group stages this Asian Games.

There are of course a few unknowns here, how much did the three above 23 years of age play? Were they already confident going through?

I have a good feeling at least.
 
Keep those fingers crossed for the weekend then. Or in worst case for a shortened service if SK lose. Although if they lose to North Korea, they'll probably all get an extra ten years of military service.
 
Nothing to suggest Japan should be favourites, especially (as elyid points out) as Korea have the extra motivation. No one of any note in their squad, and there media coverage has been non-existent. I would be surprised if many Japanese actually knew it was on. And I wouldn’t write of the UAE either.
 

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Japan look typically - well, like a well oiled machine ! Going to be a tough one for Sonny, wished the UAE had won, they would have been much easier.

Cooome on Captain Son Heung-Min, you can do it !
 
The situation has created a motivation to win that borders on painful. Coach Kim Hak-bom wrestled with who to include in the squad – and, perhaps more pertinently, who not to include – knowing that his decision could change lives in a dramatic fashion. Nicknamed “Hakbomson” in homage to Sir Alex Ferguson, Kim copped plenty of flak for calling up his former club favourite Hwang Ui-jo in one of the precious three overage playing spots. Luckily the striker, the real star of the tournament, has silenced the critics with nine goals.

Korea have taken part in the Asian Games football tournament before – and their players have won exemption before – but apart from 2014 on home soil (when Son did not play as Bayer Leverkusen refused to release him for a tournament not recognised by Fifa), not that often. This time feels much bigger. The presence and profile of Son, whose time is running out, has made a regional story into a bona fide global one.

For Korea, failure is not an option. There was severe criticism after a surprise 2-1 loss to Malaysia in the second group game when Kim heavily rotated his team, but results improved after that. Iran were defeated 2-0 in the second round and AFC Under-23 Champions Uzbekistan – seen as Korea’s biggest threat – were overcome 4-3 after extra-time in the quarters. Son couldn’t even watch the 118th minute penalty conversion from Hwang Hee-chan. Just two days later came a sixth game in 14 days, and a 3-1 win over Vietnam to earn a spot in the final against their old rivals.

In some ways, Japan have been the complete opposite of Korea in this tournament. The Samurai Blue have somewhat flown under the radar, partly because they are using this tournament in a way that Korea can only dream of: as part of planning for the future. Japan did not call up any overage players and brought a squad made up entirely of players under 21. The idea is for this group to gain experience in readiness for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

As such, there are zero expectation and little pressure on Japan to win Saturday’s final. It all rests on Korean shoulders, and this may be where the game is won or lost. Son’s Premier League or Champions League experience could prove a key factor, but even he may not have experienced this level of pressure before.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...n-line-for-son-heung-min-in-asian-games-final
 
Bullet said:
He's not done much so far, has he?
Before the tournament you would think he could tear U23 sides to shreds, but so far it has all been a bit meh for him. Time to step up.
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Yeah, only thing of note was the winning goal in the 4-3 v Uzbekistan in OT which shows a strong mentality. Think he'll go all out for Japan though
 
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