AFC U17 Asian Cup
Leading 1-0 through Kim Eun-seong's first half goal, Korea Republic came under tremendous pressure after the break but Park and his teammates stood tall to not only advance to the quarter-finals but also earn their place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
#AFCU17 | Group C: Korea Republic 1-0 Yemen
“They were very aggressive and made a lot of shots,” said Park, who ventured up field as far as he safely could during the first half as part of his team’s build-up tactics.
With Yemen chasing the game, Korea Republic found themselves under siege with the West Asian side registering 13 shots, four of which were on target.
“We faced some anxious moments but I reacted well,” said the Daegu FC U18 player, who was elated about his team’s entry into the knockout stage and the FIFA World Cup.
Head coach Back Ki-tae admitted he was not happy with his team’s showing.
“They worked hard and I thank them,” he said. “But I would like the team to improve their confidence in on-the-ball situations and focus on their individual performances.
“We tried to attack more in the second half but Yemen were well organised at the back.”
Yemen closed their Saudi Arabia 2025 chapter in third place after beating Afghanistan 2-0 in their opener before succumbing 4-1 to Indonesia.
Head coach Samer Saleh said his team played well but missed out on a lot of opportunities.
“I told the players during the break that the second half could be their last of the tournament, so they followed my instructions and came out aggressively but luck was not on our side.”
He was nonetheless pleased with their overall campaign.
“The squad learned a lot about playing under pressure and faced many technical and mental challenges. They must now progress and continue on this level.”
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