One of Asia’s fiercest soccer rivalries has become one-sided

By JOHN DUERDEN
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Asian soccer rivalry unlike no other is starting to become one-sided. South Korea has defeated Japan 42 times and lost just 16 matches. But Japan has won its last two matches against its regional foes by 3-0 score lines in the past 18 months, including a match this week in Japan. When Japan made its first World Cup appearance in 1998, South Korea was playing in its fifth tournament. The South Koreans reached the semifinals in 2002 when the two countries co-hosted and remains the best performance by any Asian team at the World Cup.  But in 2018 Japan advanced to the knockout stages while South Korea failed to advance from group play.