TOYOTA, Japan — Eom Ji-sung scored on the hour Saturday as South Korea beat host Japan 1-0 in the men's football final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, becoming the first country to win four consecutive Asian Games titles in the event.

The Swansea City forward struck in the 61st minute at Toyota Stadium, near Nagoya, sealing South Korea's third straight win over Japan in an Asian Games final and securing military service exemptions for the South Korean players.

The victory, under coach Lee Min-sung, extended a run that began at the 2014 Incheon Games and continued at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Games, which were held in 2023.

Eom, one of South Korea's overage players, made the decisive play after teammate Yang Min-hyuk won the ball back. Eom controlled the ball inside the penalty area, beat a defender and fired a left-footed shot into the net.

It was his fourth goal of the tournament. He had also set up both South Korean goals in the 2-1 semifinal win over China.

Eom, who played for South Korea at this year's World Cup, had served as stand-in captain after regular skipper Lee Gi-hyuk was injured.

He threatened early, stripping the ball........

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