Obviously, the Japanese team was strong. They had the pitching depth to win the championship, and their bats were formidable.

In particular, the left-handers Nemoto (Nihon Ham), Kirishiki (Hanshin), and Takuchi (Yakult) in the middle of the order, along with qualifier starter Sumida, had precise pitches and changeups that Korean hitters were unable to exploit.

In addition, Japan's No. 6 hitter, Chusei Mannami, had three hits on the day. In the first game of the preliminary round, he showed off his tremendous power to hit Lee's fastball over the backstop, and he also showed off his tremendous shoulders and athleticism in right field.

However, in the day's hard-fought match against Japan, there was a call that was so clear that it was frowned upon. The situation was this.

In the top of the 10th inning, Kim Do-young batted with the bases loaded. After a failed bunt on the first pitch, the catcher stood and took the second pitch that was thrown to Kim with one strike. The intention was to keep Kim from bunting. However, the ball was a strike. Kim, who had been instructed to bunt for a strike, was confused. Of course, different countries have different strike zones. However, this was a ball that came close to Kim's chest that could not be called a strike in all countries.

The count was 0-2 and South Korea was effectively shut out of the bunt. It was a big call that could have made the difference in a one-run game. It was followed by a double by Yoon Dong-hee and a single to right by Noh Si-hwan.

Of course, a player shouldn't be affected by the decision. They should have played their best under the circumstances and 토토 should have gotten a better result. The young Korean national team was outclassed by Japan by one point.

It's also impossible to have a referee in an international tournament that everyone is happy with.

But even so, ridiculous and outrageous calls should not be made in such a close game. At the very least, the APBC final, which crowns Asia's strongest team, was a bit of a disappointment considering the call was made in the Tokyo Dome in the 10th inning of extra innings.

The defeat is fair enough. But it's also very disappointing to see that it left a bad aftertaste.