Doha: Korea Republic coach Shin Tae-yong (pictured) paid tribute to Japan’s coach Makoto Teguramori as the latter won the AFC U23 Championship on Saturday, scoring three goals in the final 23 minutes to complete a 3-2 come-from-behind win at the Qarari capital.
Second-half substitute Takuma Asano scored twice and Shinya Yajima also found the back of the net as the Japanese fought back from a two-goal deficit to win the continental title in dramatic fashion.
“It’s true the substitutions from the Japanese changed the game and in that context I think I should compliment the Japan head coach,” said Shin. “He created the tactics that changed the game.
“But I don’t think there was a problem with our team. I think our team has a lot of potential and can improve more and be more flexible, so I want to maintain my tactics when we go onto the world stage.
“Playing with one formation cannot be enough for every circumstance and that’s why I kept changing the situation within the team. That was the experiment I was doing throughout this competition, so I still believe we have a lot of potential to improve in the flexibility of our tactics.”
The South Koreans had looked in control of the game by the second minute of the second half when Jin Seon-guk struck to double his side’s lead after Kwon Chang-hoon had earlier put the Taeguk Warriors in front.
Shin’s team were in total control, but the introduction of Asano in the 60th minute turned the tide in Japan’s favour, with the Sanfrecce Hiroshima man netting seven minutes after stepping onto the pitch.
Yajima headed in the equaliser a minute later and, in the 81st minute, Asano capped an improbable comeback, scoring the goal that meant the title went to Japan.
“Our team and our players did very well throughout the competition,” said Shin. “We didn’t show any boring football. We kept playing a passing game and they showed their great performance in the competition.
“Tonight we dominated the game, but since this competition was in Asia and we are going to play in a global competition I felt it was necessary to use certain players. I have found a few players and I have a few styles that should be useful for the team in the future.
“Our team has done well in this competition and even though we have lost tonight we have achieved our goal because we got the ticket to Brazil.”
The South Koreans will now join Japan and Iraq as Asia’s representatives at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August and Shin has already turned his attention to the 16-team tournament later this year.
“There are six months left to the Olympic Games, so our team needed to overcome the Asian continent and go to the world because we’ll be facing much stronger teams at the Olympics,” he said.
The Peninsula
