The sudden cancellation of the Hangzhou Asian Games came as a bolt from the blue, putting pressure on South Korea's U23 men's soccer head coach Hwang Sun-hong.
Hwang Sun-hong was blunt in an interview with the Korean media on the 9th: "The AFC U-23 Asian Cup, which was originally scheduled for June, is now an unknown, and with the postponement of the Asian Games, I'm worried about how those players who will soon be overage will adjust their mentality."
South Korea stipulates that winning the Asian Games will exempt them from military service, however, the postponement of the Asian Games will put players born in 1999 in an awkward position. It would be good news if the age limit for the Asian Games could be postponed for a year to under 24 like the Tokyo Olympics. But for now, it is still an open question.
South Korea's U23 national team had originally planned to debut at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in June before striving for a three-peat at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September. The original plan was to train and hone the team through the Asian Cup, but now, it is feared that this strategy will need to be readjusted.
As the defending champions of the U-23 Asian Cup, South Korea will be placed in Group C with Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia in the June tournament. Facing the pressure, Hwang Sun-hong said, "The pressure is really high, we are the previous champions, but the road to defending the title is still long, the team has to overcome the difficulties, and the willpower of the players is crucial. Let's work together.
