The men's under-19 soccer team on Wednesday lost two men to red cards and its bid for a second straight world championship final as it fell to Japan in a penalty shootout, 4-3.

In Doha, Qatar, the two youth teams played aggressively as expected of young squads but neither side scored in regulation nor either overtime periods.

Japan avenged its 3-0 loss to South Korea in last year's final.

South Korea also had to contend with the ejections of defenders Lee Jae-min in the 34th minute and Bae Seung-jin in the 39th minute.

In the penalty shootout, South Korea forced sudden death after five shots but lost the game after its final kick went into the stands.