The football tournament at the 2001 East Asian Games was held from 19 to 27 May 2001. The tournament was played by the U-23 men's national teams.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 6 |
 Japan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 3 |
 Guam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 South Korea | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 |
 Kazakhstan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 6 |
 Macau | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 |
 Mongolia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 16 | −15 | 0 |
| Macau | 4 – 0 | Mongolia |
|---|---|---|
|
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 25 May - Osaka Expo '70 Stadium | ||||||
| South Korea | 1 (3) | |||||
| 27 May - Nagai Stadium | ||||||
| Japan (pen) | 1 (4) | |||||
| Japan | 2 | |||||
| 25 May - Osaka Expo '70 Stadium | ||||||
| Australia | 1 | |||||
| Australia | 1 | |||||
| Kazakhstan | 0 | |||||
| Third place | ||||||
| 27 May - Nagai Stadium | ||||||
| South Korea | 4 | |||||
| Kazakhstan | 1 | |||||
| South Korea | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | ||
| 3 – 4 | ||
| South Korea | 4 – 1 | Kazakhstan |
|---|---|---|
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | Japan | South Korea | Kazakhstan |
Australia parted as guest, so Korea Republic and Kazakhstan were awarded 2nd and 3rd respectively.
