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Korea reaches final
South Korea hit the accelerator in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup semi-finals, they beat Pakistan 4–1 in a pretty commanding way at the Moqi Training Base, Hulunbuir, China. The win basically stopped Pakistan’s undefeated streak right there, and it also opened the door for South Korea to play in the championship final. Korea kept their tactical grip for most of the game, using set-piece chances to unravel their rivals, bit by bit.
Early Korean dominance
The match started with a back and forth first quarter, where both sides traded defensive responses, so the scoreboard stayed blank. South Korea finally broke through about six minutes into the second quarter, via an open-play field goal from Seowon Park. Then, momentum stayed locked in Korea’s favor five minutes later, when Minhyeok Lee converted a penalty corner to make it 2–0. Pakistan did manage to pull one back 2–1, just before halftime, with Nadeem Khan slotting a late penalty corner, giving them that brief spark.
Dohyeon strikes twice
In the second half, the spotlight turned to Korean forward Choi Dohyeon. His penalty-corner finishing was sharp, and after that the game felt out of reach. Dohyeon restored the two-goal cushion in the 41st minute by firing home his first penalty corner strike. He then completed the brace seven minutes into the final quarter, with another clean penalty corner conversion, taking it to 4–1. Pakistan pushed higher up in the closing moments, but the Korean back line held steady, keeping that three-goal difference right up to the final whistle.
Looking ahead
This victory sets up a top level final between South Korea and India, since India also made it through after beating Malaysia 3–1 in the earlier semi-final. As for Pakistan, they go to the bronze medal match, where they’ll face Malaysia at the same Moqi Training Base venue. Korea’s precise finishing feels like a real milestone for their campaign, as they now shift focus to the ultimate title.
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