Two Wildcards Still Uncertain for Asian Games Football Final Against Japan: What Is Coach Lee Min-sung's Replacement Lineup?
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's football final between Korea and Japan will be held on October 3 at Toyota Stadium. Coach Lee Min-sung did not confirm that Lee Gi-hyuk and Yang Hyun-jun will play in the final.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Two of the three wildcards did not play in the previous match. The wildcards are Lee Gi-hyuk (26), Yang Hyun-jun (24) and Eom Ji-sung. Eom Ji-sung was the only wildcard on the pitch in the September 30 semifinal against China. Yonhap News reported that the captain's armband that day was also on Eom Ji-sung's arm instead of Lee Gi-hyuk's.
Right after the semifinal, Coach Lee Min-sung did not confirm that the two players will play in the final, saying, "The basic principle is player protection." The real variable for Lee Min-sung's team is the physical condition of the two wildcards.
2 Players Absent: Lee Gi-hyuk and Yang Hyun-jun; Return for Final Undecided
The reason Lee Gi-hyuk of Gangwon FC missed the match is inflammation in the foot area. An official from the Korea Football Association told News1, "Lee Gi-hyuk was left out of the starting lineup because of minor foot inflammation. It is not a serious injury." MHN Sports described it as 'ankle treatment' in a photo caption, so the wording differs by outlet. Because no official medical certificate was obtained, the confirmed extent is only 'inflammation in the foot area.'
Segye Ilbo reported that Yang Hyun-jun could not play in the semifinal because of a hamstring problem. The Celtic winger left Gangwon FC in July 2023, leaving a transfer fee of more than 3.5 billion won (more than 2.5 million euros, per Gangwon FC's official announcement). Just before being called up, Yang Hyun-jun scored in two consecutive matches in the Scottish Premiership.
| Time | Source | Details |
|---|---|---|
| September 30, 14:00 | News1 | Association official explains Lee Gi-hyuk's foot inflammation |
| September 30, 17:00 | News1 | Coach Lee Min-sung says he will decide after checking the two players' condition |
| October 1, 04:00 | MHN Sports | Whether the two players can play normally remains uncertain |
The 4-2-3-1 starting eleven against China, with Hwang Do-yoon and Kang Sang-yoon as replacement combinations
The semifinal formation was 4-2-3-1. With Lee Gi-hyuk out, Hwang Do-yoon partnered Lee Seung-won to fill the midfield. The table below is the actual starting lineup against China. The starting lineup for the final has not yet been announced.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Kim Jun-hong |
| Defense | Bae Hyun-seo, Kim Ji-su, Shin Min-ha, Choi Seok-hyun |
| Defensive midfielders | Lee Seung-won, Hwang Do-yoon |
| Second line | Eom Ji-sung, Bae Jun-ho, Lee Hyun-ju |
| Striker | Lee Young-jun |
The match changed at the start of the second half. OhmyNews's on-site analysis says Kang Sang-yoon came on for Lee Hyun-ju and took the attacking midfield role, while Bae Jun-ho shifted to the right. If Yang Hyun-jun also misses the final, this combination will serve as a reference for the flank and the second line.
The space left behind the 2-3-5 attack: defensive transitions are the final's homework
According to News1, Coach Lee Min-sung reportedly aimed for a 2-3-5 structure in attack and a counter-press right after losing the ball against China. Lee pointed out that connection errors between midfield and central defense need to be fixed. Lee Gi-hyuk played the full match in all 3 group-stage games at the World Cup in North and Central America. Lee Gi-hyuk can play center back, left back and defensive midfielder. If Lee Gi-hyuk is out, the alternative that has been tested in a real match is the Hwang Do-yoon and Lee Seung-won pairing.
Football coach Lee Min-sung: 67 A-matches, joint 55th
Coach Lee Min-sung was born on June 23, 1973, and is 53 years old. As a player, Lee played 200 K League matches and appeared in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. After promoting Daejeon Hana Citizen to the 1st division in 2022, Lee was appointed national team coach in 2025. Lee was the hero of the 'Battle of Tokyo,' scoring the winning goal in the 1997 Korea-Japan match. This time, Lee will face Japan, the team Lee scored against then, from the bench.
| Rank | Name | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Choi Yong-soo | 69 matches |
| 54 | Park Chu-young | 68 matches |
| Joint 55 | Jung Sung-ryong, Lee Min-sung, Kim Jung-nam, Koo Sang-bum | 67 matches |
| Joint 59 | Jung Hae-won, Choi Jin-chul, Choi Sung-yong, Cha Tae-sung | 65 matches |
Lee's A-match record as a player is 67 matches, 2 goals. The Korea Football Association records archive puts Lee at joint 55th as of July 1, 2026. That is 1 match behind 54th-ranked Park Chu-young (68 matches) and 2 matches behind 53rd-ranked Choi Yong-soo (69 matches).
Whether Lee Gi-hyuk and Yang Hyun-jun have recovered, and how long they can actually play, will be judged by Coach Lee Min-sung after checking; no separate medical announcement from the association had been confirmed just before the final. Kickoff is at 19:30 on October 3 at Toyota Stadium.
Related official sites
- Korea Football Association — Check national team schedules and official announcements
- Japan Football Association official match page for the men's football final — Final matchup, date and time, and venue information
- Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee — Full tournament schedule and venue guide
- Korea Football Association official records archive — Look up all-time A-match appearance and goal records
Featured image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo of the current match in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (yoppy), CC BY 2.0
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