In the early hours of today, South Korea’s U23 side suffered a stunning setback in the U23 Asian Cup third-place playoff, falling 8–9 to Vietnam U23 and missing out on the podium. The result left Korea finishing fourth overall—and what made it even more shocking was that they still lost despite having a numerical advantage for part of the match, a twist few saw coming.
After the final whistle, South Korean media reactions were fierce and emotional. Headlines and commentary were filled with harsh words such as “nightmare,” “death sentence,” “humiliation,” and even “sickly tiger,” reflecting just how deeply disappointed many outlets were with the team’s performance.
However, one particular headline from the Korean outlet Financial News quickly sparked wider controversy—especially among Chinese fans following the tournament closely. In its post-match coverage, the outlet ran the provocative title: “Japan > China > Vietnam > Korea… The Lee Min-sung era drops to Asia’s fourth tier…”
The ranking immediately raised eyebrows. With the final still yet to be played, the outlet placed Japan ahead of China as if the championship outcome were already decided. But at this tournament, China had not lost to Japan—and at this stage, both sides remained on equal footing. For many observers, the headline wasn’t just premature; it felt dismissive, as though Japan were automatically assumed to be superior and destined to win, while China was treated as a clear second-best before the match even happened.
That framing didn’t sit well with fans, who saw it as another example of Korean media underestimating China. Many responded by saying they hoped China would deliver a statement win and force those headlines to be rewritten.
One fan commented that once tonight’s match is over, Korean media would have no choice but to change the wording again.
Another urged China to “go all out against Japan” and give Korea something to feel bitter about.
Others questioned the logic entirely—asking why Japan should be treated as the guaranteed champion before the final had even kicked off.
Some fans expressed strong confidence, saying they had a feeling China would lift the trophy later tonight.
A more measured voice added that while Korea’s showing was clearly poor, labeling them “Asia’s fourth tier” still felt exaggerated.
And one particularly blunt reaction summed up the frustration at Korea’s slide: after losing to Japan, then losing to China, and now losing to Vietnam, there was simply no one left to lose to—making the latest defeat all the more embarrassing.
