Korea Fails to Reach U-20 Asian Cup Final

Korea failed to advance to the final of the Asian Football Confederation U-20 Asian Cup after losing to Uzbekistan in a semifinal in Tashkent on Wednesday.

Korea, led by coach Kim Eun-jung, tussled with the host country but lost 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the match remained goalless through extra time.

Korea finished tied for third with Japan, which lost to Iraq in a penalty shootout in the other semifinal, as there is no third-place match at this year's event.

Korea has made 39 appearances and won 12 trophies since the tournament started in 1959. The last time Korea won it was back in 2012.

Despite Wednesday's defeat, Korea secured a ticket to the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May, as the AFC allocated tickets to the top four countries at this year's event.