Japan vs South Korea Olympic Soccer: Bronze Medal Grades, Reaction & More

South Korea beefed up the physicality and the result was a 2-0 win over Japan to land the bronze medal in men’s soccer, their first ever in Olympic competition.

With this historic Olympic victory for the country, they also guaranteed themselves a free pass out of the 18-month military service mandatory of all South Korean males before reaching the age of 29.

That’s some major-league pressure, and the Koreans passed with flying colors.

The first goal was a fast break of sorts for South Korea’s Park Chu-Young, who showed world-class dribbling skills as he weaved through three defenders to bury a shot in the back of the net in the 38th minute.

It was one of the greatest plays of the entire Olympics and it really helped turn the tide for a frustrated South Korean side, which had three players booked in the first 35 minutes.

Then, in the 57th minute, the Koreans were on the attack once again and a deflection off the Japanese goalie conveniently landed in front of Koo Ja-Cheol, and he took care of the rest.

At 2-0, the match was all but over against a Japanese side that really struggled to put pressure on South Korea’s defense.

The game plan of head coach Hong Myung-Bo and South Korea was evident from the start, coming out extremely aggressive and physical in the matchup. It really surprised their archrivals and, by the 70th minute, the Japanese had already reached their substitution limit as they desperately attempted to find an answer.

They would never find it. Now the South Koreans can proudly call themselves Olympic medal winners.

Twitter Reaction

The action was incredibly physical, and multiple players had to be attended to on the sidelines with blood dripping down their face, as fan Daniel Garza observes:

"

this japan vs south korea game is intense everyone is bleeding

— Daniel Garza (@dgarza42) August 10, 2012 "

Information hub KOREATOWN reminds us of the prize their team won for landing a medal:

"

South Korea 2-0 Japan ... Olympics bronze medal means military exemption for the Korean soccer squad:)

— KOREATOWN (@Koreatown) August 10, 2012"

The Koreans really wore out the Japanese. And by the end, Japan was absolutely gassed, as Nutmeg Radio observed:

"

Congrats, South Korea on the bronze. FT: SK 2 - 0 Japan. Japanese players literally sprawled across the field, exhausted and devastated.

— Nutmeg Radio (@NutmegRadio) August 10, 2012"

Grades

Park Chu-Young: A

His goal was a thing of beauty and a reminder why he can still be one of the premiere players in the sport, despite his considerably disappointing season with Arsenal.

He set the tone early with his aggressiveness and didn’t take his foot off the gas until the very end, coming off in a late substitution. There is no question he was the player of the match.

Koo Ja-Cheol: B+

Many times in soccer, it’s all about being at the right place at the right time, and Ja-Cheol is one lucky guy.

But give him credit for finishing the shot off the rebound, and for being one of the key cogs of the South Korean’s offensive attack against a stout Japanese defense.

Jung Sung-Ryong: A

The South Korean goalie notched four saves and didn’t make a single mental mistake. While the defense made his life easy, he didn’t slip up and hand any unnecessary gifts to Japan.

Hiroshi Kiyotake: B

He was the most forceful player for Japan on a very disappointing offense. He registered three shots, including one on goal. It’s not Kiyotake’s fault his teammates played tentative.

Takahiro Ohgihara: D

He really came up short in this one. The midfielder was only able to muster a yellow card. Not a single shot.

Ohgihara had no answers for the South Korean defense and will likely be thinking about this loss for quite some time.

What’s Next

The gold-medal match between Brazil and Mexico is on Saturday, but for now it’s time to pay respects to the South Koreans.

The young men won the first ever Olympic medal in men's soccer for their country, and can now go about their professional careers without the interruption by a military hiatus in their prime years.

It has been quite the day.

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter