Head coach Kim Eun-joong of the Korean national team, who was caught by strong Italy at the threshold of the second consecutive FIFA U-20 World Cup final, said, “It is regrettable. Even though it was the result, he encouraged the players by pouring out everything they had.스포츠토토
At a press conference after the U-20 World Cup semi-final against Italy held at La Plata Stadium in Argentina on the 9th (Korean time), coach Kim said, “I led the game well as I prepared, but I think there was a disappointing result as I couldn’t score in the chance.” he pondered.
Korea, led by coach Kim, lost 1-2 in the semi-final against Italy that day, and was pushed back to the 3rd and 4th place without reaching the final.
Kim Eun-joong, who dreamed of recreating the glory of the 2019 Poland U-20 World Cup, stopped right before the final just before he reached the final and became runner-up for the first time in a FIFA-sponsored men’s competition.
On this day, Korea gave up the opening goal in the 14th minute of the first half, and Lee Seung-won (Gangwon) equalized in the 23rd minute of the first half.
Coach Kim Eun-joong saluting the national flag
Coach Kim said, “As we approached the second half, our players’ concentration and stamina were superior, so we created a good opportunity.”
However, coach Kim expressed his gratitude by emphasizing that “the players devoted themselves to the team more than anyone else and gave more than 100%.”
When the game ended in defeat after struggling until the last minute, the players could not hide their sad faces, and some, including the main striker Lee Yeong-jun (Kim Cheon), shed tears.
Manager Kim said, “The players did their best until the end, but I think they showed tears because they were disappointed.”
“The players must have been very upset because they participated in the tournament without high expectations, but they did not express themselves even to the coaches and came this far with only one goal, and they proved their worth on the field,” he said. want,” he said.
Called the ‘Valley Generation’, Eun-Joong Kim, who reached the semifinals despite not having much expectations or interest in his performance compared to the previous tournament, dreams of ‘the beauty of the end’ in the 3rd and 4th place match against Israel on the 11th.
Coach Kim said, “The players will be mentally very difficult, but since the 3rd and 4th place matches are the last games for our U-20 team, we will recover well so that we can finish well. We will play a game without regrets.”
Looking back from the preparation process for the tournament, he said, “We worked together for about a year and seven months and brought out the potential that even the players themselves were not aware of. All players improved little by little and proved that they were competitive.” “Everyone has grown one step at a time. ” he gave meaning to.
Next, coach Kim said, “Our players showed good performances and results throughout the tournament with high concentration compared to the short preparation period.” I want to catch it,” he added.