Nagoya: After a comfortable 3-0 win over Qatar in a women's volleyball group match at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in central Japan, head coach Cha Sang-hyun said he had already shifted his focus to the next match against Vietnam.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea beat Qatar 3-0 (25-6, 25-6, 25-10) in Pool D action at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, just north of Nagoya, Japan. Cha expressed relief at the clean sweep but emphasized the need for his players to maintain concentration ahead of the crucial upcoming match against Vietnam, scheduled for Friday.
"Today was important, but since tomorrow's game is so crucial, we have prepared ourselves to focus on that," Cha told reporters in a mixed-zone interview post-match. He mentioned the importance of a team meeting to psych up the players before the next challenge.
South Korea currently leads Pool D with two wins over Hong Kong and Qatar. Vietnam, following a win over Qatar the previous day, is in second place and is expected to win against Hong Kong later on Thursday, potentially joining South Korea at the top of the group standings.
Cha noted the significance of the upcoming match against Vietnam, as it will decide first place and could determine whether South Korea avoids facing China, a powerhouse in Asian volleyball, in the quarterfinals. The coach highlighted the importance of winning the first set and reducing errors while making aggressive plays in the latter part of the set.
"Ultimately, it comes down to how boldly we can play after reaching 20 points," Cha stated. "The key will be whether we can do that without making errors and which team manages to seize the momentum in the first set."
South Korea has previously defeated Vietnam twice in 2026 but needs another victory to secure a medal at this year's Asian Games. Reflecting on past performances, Cha recalled South Korea's earlier loss to Vietnam in a preliminary round at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, which resulted in missing an Asian Games medal for the first time since 2006.
"Both the players and I will steel our resolve once more and do our best to put on a good match," Cha concluded.