Korean newspapers did not evade the truth after their home team's defeat to U23 Vietnam in the 3rd place match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Phrases such as "the worst in history", "true shock", "disaster" appeared with high frequency.
A famous newspaper frankly pointed out the paradox that U23 Korea held the ball a lot, controlled the game but was completely harmless. Faced with the disciplined counter-attacking defense of U23 Vietnam, coach Lee Min-sung's students struggled, were stuck and gradually dragged into a match where they could not control the rhythm.
Kim Tae-won's equalizer in the 68th minute seemed to relieve pressure, but just 3 minutes later, Nguyen Dinh Bac's free kick splashed cold water, exposing the psychological fragility and bravery of the white team.
Although they managed to equalize in injury time to drag the match into extra time, U23 Korea still could not take advantage of the numerical advantage. From the penalty spot, the moment goalkeeper Cao Van Binh saved the 7th shot closed the bitter defeat, and at the same time opened up an emotional victory for U23 Vietnam," this newspaper emphasized.
Another newspaper called this a "disaster", not only because of the defeat but also marking the first time U23 Korea lost to U23 Vietnam since 2006.
The newspaper assessed: "This tournament is a forgettable series of days, from the difficult group stage, defeat to Japan in the semi-finals, to the last fall in the third-place match. The overwhelming history of confrontation is no longer valuable to cover up the bleak present.
Meanwhile, a newspaper with high traffic - frankly concluded: "The penalty shootout is just an example of exaggerating weak psychological pressure. This defeat, although not affecting the Olympic ticket, is still a red alarm bell for South Korean youth football on its journey towards ASIAD 2026 and Olympic 2028. A bitter evening, but a truth that cannot be avoided.
