Asian Cup final a step too far for South Korea’s ‘zombie football’

South Korea’s late comebacks at the Asian Cup had earned them the tag of playing “zombie football” after the team always came back to life when they appeared dead, but it could also describe how they stumbled and eventually fell in the semifinal.

The squad rode their luck when they scored goals after the 90th minute in four straight matches, with late strikes in the last 16 and quarterfinals forcing extra time against Saudi Arabia and Australia, respectively.

But in Tuesday’s semifinal, Juergen Klinsmann’s side was beaten by a hard-working Jordan team that claimed a famous 2-0 win to advance to the final for the first time.