It's been 44 years since an Asian soccer team has won a medal at the Olympics, but that drought will end Friday.
Japan is looking to remain the region's lone nation to accomplish the feat, while South Korea is trying to join the exclusive club as the rivals play for the bronze medal in Cardiff, Wales.
Japan won bronze at the 1968 Games in Mexico City and an Asian representative has played for third place once since, with Iraq losing to Italy in Athens in 2004.
That will change with these teams meeting at the Olympics for the first time, but the Japanese may have been looking to compete for a more prestigious medal.
Japan went 2-0-1 to win Group D, pulling off a stunning 1-0 upset of tournament favorite Spain in its opener. The team eliminated Egypt 3-0 in the quarterfinals Saturday and took an early lead in the semifinals against Mexico on Tuesday before losing 3-1.
"We had a good start, but then stopped moving," coach Takashi Sekizuka said. "Everyone is very disappointed."
Yuki Otsu has scored half of Japan's six goals, finding the net in each of the last two games. The forward is likely to get a chance to add to that total since Japan will probably continue employing offensive-minded tactics.
That could mean more involvement from Kensuke Nagai, a rising star domestically for Nagoya Grampus. The forward has two goals, giving him 13 in 30 appearances for the under-23 team.
South Korea is already assured of its best finish in the Olympics, and playing for the bronze is somewhat unexpected since the team has gone 1-1-3 while scoring three goals.
Two of those tallies came in a victory over Switzerland in the group phase. The Koreans' most impressive performance came in a 5-4 upset of Britain on penalties after the teams played to a 1-all draw through overtime.
Their run ended Tuesday when they were dominated in a 3-0 loss to Brazil, mustering one shot on goal.
While scoring has been an issue for South Korea, the team had allowed two goals in four games prior to losing to the Brazilians.
Increased production from Park Chu-Young might be vital, and the 27-year-old forward hasn't scored since netting the first goal versus the Swiss.
He may have some extra motivation to earn a medal since he's a member of Arsenal, one of six London teams in England's Premier League.
