Young Koreans urged to come of age against Iran

Reuters - South Korea coach Pim Verbeek has urged his young team to prove they can compete with the best in the region in their Asian Cup quarter-final against Iran on Sunday.

The Koreans are missing several key players through injury, including Park Ji-sung, Seol Ki-hyun and Lee Young-pyo, but Verbeek feels the team can reach new heights after overcoming defeat against Bahrain to scrape into the last eight.

"We have the future of Korean football here with us," the Dutchman told a news conference on Saturday.

"They will show against a big team like Iran that they can play. I promise an interesting match tomorrow evening.

"I have selected the best players available and they are getting better and better. We have to play better still against Iran if we want to win."

Verbeek admitted that Iran would start the match as favourites after topping Group C but remains confident his side can emerge victorious.

"When we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, people told us that Iran are the favourites and I think they are right," he added.

"They have a very experienced side and have played well in their group games. They may have better players than us but it doesn't mean they are the stronger team. I think we will win."

This is the fourth consecutive Asian Cup in which South Korea and Iran are facing off in a quarter-finals, with the West Asians holding the advantage.

Iran won 4-3 in Jinan, China three years ago while the Koreans triumphed 2-1 from a Lee Dong-gook Golden Goal in Lebanon four years earlier.

Iran won 6-2 in the United Arab Emirates in 1996, but coach Amir Ghalenoei said the past meant nothing when the two teams meet at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Sunday.

"We know South Korea very well because we played them twice in the Asian Cup qualifying rounds," he said.

"But each match is different and this time, the circumstances are also different. Whoever loses is out.

"We know their strengths and their weaknesses but we have been working on our own game."

Iran led Group C after notching up wins over Uzbekistan (2-1) and Malaysia (2-0) while drawing 2-2 with China.

Korea opened with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, were beaten 2-1 by Bahrain, but took second place in Group D with a 1-0 victory over co-hosts Indonesia.