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Lee blames fatigue for Korea Republic’s defeat

Lee blames fatigue for Korea Republic’s defeat

Shenzhen: In the end, it was a bridge too far for Korea Republic as their journey in the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 came to an end following a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
The East Asian side, seeking a record-extending 13th title, produced a below par performance with head coach Lee Chang-won admitting the quarter-final win against Uzbekistan - which had also required spot-kicks - had taken a toll on his players. 
#AFCU20 | Semi-final : Saudi Arabia 0 (3) - (2) 0 Korea Republic

#AFCU20 | Semi-final : Saudi Arabia 0 (3) - (2) 0 Korea Republic

“I would like to congratulate Saudi Arabia for reaching the final,” said Lee. “They did really well in this game. Our team lost because of our fitness level. 

“The last game also went to extra time, although our players did their best, they did not produce a great performance. In the penalties, luck wasn’t on our side.”
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Fatigue was the reason why Kim Tae-won and Yoon Do-young started on the bench. 

“After analysing their fitness level, we found they were not in good shape. Also, we anticipated the match could go to extra time, so I thought of using them in the second half.”
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With their Asian campaign over, Lee’s focus will now turn to September's FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025, with the head coach not ruling out reinforcements.

“We have some players who couldn’t come for this tournament because of injuries, especially in midfield. I think their absence was keenly felt in some games. 

“Also, we have to improve our physical level. We will also look at players who are playing in Europe like Yang Min-hyeok (QPR, England) and Kim Min-su (Girona, Italy) to strengthen the squad for the World Cup.”

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