'2 Consecutive Overtime Battles' South Korea Reaches Asian Cup Semifinals... Son Heung-min Seals It (Summary)

Dramatic 2-1 Comeback Win Against Australia
Equalizer in Added Time Again
Rematch with Jordan in Semifinals on 7th

The South Korean national football team achieved a dramatic comeback victory over Australia to advance to the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup. After two consecutive matches of extended battles, they secured a valuable win. Additionally, they created a drama by scoring equalizing goals in injury time of the second half in two consecutive games when defeat seemed imminent.

Led by coach J?rgen Klinsmann, the South Korean national football team won 2-1 in a quarterfinal match against Australia held on the 3rd (Korean time) at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar.

They conceded first at the 42nd minute of the first half but equalized with a penalty kick by Hwang Hee-chan at the 6th minute of added time in the second half, followed by Son Heung-min’s winning goal in the 14th minute of the first half of extra time.

Captain Son Heung-min showed his true value. In injury time of the second half, Son skillfully maneuvered inside the penalty box against the opposing defense, drawing a foul that led to Hwang Hee-chan’s penalty kick equalizer. In the first half of extra time, Son scored the winning goal from a free kick opportunity earned by Hwang Hee-chan.

Son Heung-min is cheering after scoring the winning goal in the semifinal match against Australia at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on the 3rd (Korean time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Coach Klinsmann showed his attacking intent by starting Hwang Hee-chan for the first time in this tournament. Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in took charge of the left and right wing attacks respectively. The front line was led by Cho Gue-sung and Son Heung-min. In midfield, Hwang In-beom and Park Yong-woo were positioned, while the defense was handled by Seol Young-woo, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Min-jae, and Kim Tae-hwan. Jo Hyeon-woo guarded the goal.

At the 19th minute of the first half, a tense moment was narrowly avoided. Australia’s Craig Goodwin fired a sharp long-range shot, but goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo dived to save it. The ball fell in front of corner Matt McKay, with the goal virtually open, but McKay’s shot missed embarrassingly.

At the 30th minute of the first half, Hwang Hee-chan scored against the opposing goal, but the goal was disallowed due to offside. Lee Kang-in crossed from the right, and Seol Young-woo lightly flicked the ball with his right foot, which Hwang Hee-chan gently touched to score. However, video review showed Seol Young-woo’s shoulder was slightly ahead of the opposing defender, so the goal was not recognized.

At the 42nd minute of the first half, South Korea conceded a goal. Hwang In-beom lost possession while passing in the defensive area, which eventually led to Goodwin’s powerful left-foot volley.

The flow of the second half was frustrating. Trailing by one goal, South Korea struggled to break through Australia’s solid defense, which had conceded the fewest goals in the tournament so far. Son Heung-min stepped up as the savior. At the 4th minute of added time in the second half, Son received the ball surrounded by four defenders near the penalty box but skillfully moved to the left, drawing a foul from the opposing defense. The referee awarded a penalty kick, which Hwang Hee-chan converted into the equalizer.

Jurgen Klinsmann, the head coach of the national football team, is embracing captain Son Heung-min after a 2-1 comeback victory against Australia in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup semifinal held on the 3rd (Korean time) at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar.
Photo by Yonhap News

Riding the momentum, South Korea completely dominated the flow in extra time, creating successive decisive shooting opportunities and threatening Australia’s goal.

At the 4th minute of the first half of extra time, Yang Hyun-jun delivered a low cross from the right, which Hwang Hee-chan connected with a sharp right-footed shot, but it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. Lee Kang-in then headed the rebound, but it ultimately did not result in a goal.

At the 6th minute, Son Heung-min made a slight pass to Lee Jae-sung, who took a powerful left-footed shot from the center of the arc, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goalpost.

The winning goal came at the 14th minute of the first half of extra time. Hwang Hee-chan, charging forward, earned a foul just outside the left side of the penalty box. Son Heung-min scored the winning goal directly from the free kick.

Just before the end of the first half of extra time, Australia’s Aiden O’Neill was sent off with a red card. O’Neill committed a rough tackle on Hwang Hee-chan and initially received a yellow card, but after video review, it was upgraded to a red card.

With the numerical advantage, South Korea continued to control the flow in the second half of extra time and secured a dramatic one-goal victory.

With this victory, South Korea avenged their 1-2 defeat to Australia in the final of the 2015 Asian Cup held in Australia nine years ago after an extended battle.

South Korea will play Jordan in the semifinals at midnight on the 7th. South Korea and Jordan were in the same Group E in this tournament, and their group stage match ended in a 2-2 draw.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.