The South Korean men’s football team notched up a 2-0 win over Laos in the final group round match, advancing to the round of 16 at the Incheon Asian Games with a perfect record.

South Korea wrapped up the group round with three wins and will take on the Group B runner-up, either Uzbekistan or Hong Kong, in the first knockout match.

With his team having already secured a spot in the round of 16 before Sunday, South Korean head coach Lee Kwang-jong came up with a starting lineup without injured striker Kim Shin-wook for the match against Laos at Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium on the outskirts of Incheon.

South Korea pounded about a dozen shots in the first half but failed to get a goal until Lee Jong-ho netted the eventual winner into the right at the 41st.

Lee made some substitutions in the 63rd minute, and one of the subs, Kim Seung-dae, fired a right-foot goal 25 minutes later to extend the lead to 2-0.

Saudi Arabia defeated Malaysia 3-0 to finish second in Group A, securing another knockout berth out of the group after South Korea.


S. Korea women win 13-0

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― The South Korean women’s football team hammered Maldives 13-0 on Sunday at the Asian Games, finishing first in Group A.

South Korea secured three wins in Group A and will now take on either third-place country in Group B or Group C in the quarterfinals on Friday.

At the final Group A match at Munhak World Cup Stadium, the South Korean women opened the goal parade in the ninth by Jung Seol-bin’s left-foot shot.

With teenage striker Lee So-dam’s first Asiad goal at the 33rd, the team ended the first half 5-0.

The South Koreans scored eight more goals in the second half to finish the game 13-0.

In another Group A match to decide the runner-up in the group, Thailand beat India 10-0 to join South Korea in the quarters. (Yonhap)