A win against China is within reach. Hwang Sun-hong Ho is poised to make it two wins in a row in the Group of Death.
Lee Young-joon, the 6-foot-3 striker, scored another goal.
After taking a 1-0 lead against China in the second leg of their Group B match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2024 Qatar U-23 Asian Cup at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 10:00 p.m. on Monday, Hwang Sun-hong's U-23 national team took a 2-0 lead in the 24th minute of the second leg.
A win over China would give South Korea a two-game winning streak and sole possession of first place in Group A.
Lee Young-joon is the hero. South Korea nearly went three goals down in the first 30 minutes of the game, but goalkeeper Kim Jung-hoon made a number of saves to keep them in the game.
Korea then had a chance. On an attack down the right flank, attacking midfielder Kang Sang-yoon beat the offside trap and played a forward pass to Lee Young-joon, who unleashed a diagonal right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area that found the back of the net.
It was Lee's second consecutive goal in the tournament, following his late stoppage-time winner in the first game against the UAE on Sunday.
Lee's performance didn't end there. After Kim Jung-hoon saved a crucial shot from China in the 24th minute of the second half, Korea survived another scare and made it 2-0 on the ensuing counter-attack when Lee Tae-seok's assist was converted by Lee Young-joon with a thunderous left-footed finish from in front of the goal.
Lee has now scored three goals in the tournament, including the game-winner 토토 against the UAE two days ago, to lead all scorers.
In addition to goalkeeper Kim Jung-hoon, South Korea started a back four of Cho Hyun-taek, Byun Jun-soo, Byun Jun-su, Son Seong-kwan, and Hwang Jae-won. The double volante consisted of Kim Min-woo and Baek Sang-hoon.
The three secondary strikers are Um Ji-sung, Kang Sang-yoon, and Kang Sung-jin. The top of the lineup is Lee Young-joon, who scored the final goal against the UAE.
Germany's Kim Min-woo and striker Lee Young-joon were the only two players in the starting lineup. However, Hwang Sun-hong-ho was injured midway through the first half and defender Signe Kwan was substituted out.
China, led by head coach Cheng Yaodong, opted for a back three. Huang Zhihao started as the gatekeeper, while Yang Zhihao, Liang Xiaowen, and Qin Shunkai lined up in the defense.
Duan Duji, Tao Changrong, Jia Feifan, and Luan Qilong were in the midfield. Liu Zhurun and Xie Wenneng were the flankers, with Behram Abduwei up top.
China's lack of finishing allowed them to miss chances to take the lead, and South Korea took advantage, with Lee Young-joon's multi-goal performance sealing the victory.
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