Korea defended a 2-1 lead till the end to clinch the bronze medal in the 8th Men’s Junior Asia Cup at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium tonight.
Kim Sung Yeob pounded Japan with a third minute penalty corner goal and Ji Woo Cheon increased the lead to 2-0 by the 18th minute but the Japanese dug deep into their reserves and earned a field goal as the clock ticked away seconds into the interval.
Japan threw everything they could after the breather to take the match into penalty shootout and even had a penalty corner awarded just 42 seconds remaining on the board but Arai Daichi’s powerful drag flick was thwarted by goalkeeper Kim Gil Myung.
As the Japanese sank on their knees in frustration, the Koreans celebrated their third bronze medal in the 27-year history of the Junior Asia Cup.
