Brazil Olympic boss Mano Menezes has claimed that Asian football is improving ahead of their clash with South Korea on Tuesday.
The pair will meet in the semi-finals of the Olympics at Old Trafford, but Menezes is remaining cautious ahead of the encounter.
"Their football has come on. They like to dictate the game now, which you didn't see until pretty recently. In the past they'd just focus on keeping their shape and look to hit you hard and fast on the counter. But not these days," he told FIFA.com.
"They have the ability to keep the ball now, to work hard, switch play from one flank to the other and hit long balls too. They've got a broader grasp of the game and they've also been producing players who are with some big European clubs now.
"That definitely raises their stature and gives them the confidence they need to battle against the world's big teams on an equal footing."
Japan and Mexico clash in the other semi-final of the men's competition.
