INCHEON, South Korea: South Korea face bitter rivals Japan anxious to avoid the dreaded “toffee punishment” in a politically-charged headline game in the Asian Games football quarter-finals today.
Saudi Arabia take on Iraq in a second game packed with sporting rivalry, while North Korea play United Arab Emirates and Thailand do battle with Jordan in the other games.
Matches between South Korea and Japan often produce fireworks given the historical animosity between the countries. Their latest meeting will have extra edge with the Koreans under intense pressure to end a 28-year gold medal drought on home soil.
South Korea’s players have the added incentive of being excused two years of mandatory military service if they win the title in the under-23 tournament. But Japan are testing a new young side for the 2016 Olympic qualifiers and could spring a surprise. Defeat by defending champions Japan would be seen as a national humiliation in South Korea.
It could also provoke an angry response from fans, who greeted South Korea’s World Cup flops by throwing toffees at them on their return -- a traditional insult in the country, where “Go eat a toffee!” translates as a fruitier version of “Get lost!” South Korea’s full side lost all three group games at the World Cup finals in Brazil.
“We wanted to play South Korea,” Japan coach Makoto Teguramori told reporters.
“It doesn’t getter any better than this,” he added. “Imagine us beating them and winning gold on their turf.” A South Korea player inflamed a diplomatic row with Japan over a territorial dispute by waving a political flag after the Koreans beat Japan 2-0 in the bronze medal match at the 2012 London Olympics.
With relations between Tokyo and Seoul icy cold, the potential remains for a similar outpouring of patriotism over disputed islets called Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.
South Korean coach Lee Kwang-Jong will hope towering striker Kim Shin-Wook, whose ever-changing hairstyles are closely watched by local fans, has recovered from a calf injury to make an impact.
“He’s not 100 percent but he could also come off the bench,” Lee said of the wildcard pick.
“Korea and Japan are arch-rivals but the players are mentally ready,” he added.
There will be little love lost in the Arab clash between Iraq and Saudi Arabia either, both sides looking to the future after differing fortunes in recent years.
AFP
