In the tournament that started with indifference, they showed the true ‘team’.
The Korean national under-20 (U-20) soccer team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, played the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup semi-finals against Italy at La Plata Stadium in La Plata, Argentina at 6:00 am (Korean time) on the 9th. lost 1-2 in.스포츠토토
Korea gave up first. In the 14th minute of the first half, he allowed a mid-range shot to Tsasare Casadei and was dragged away. Korea counterattacked and scored an equalizer. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Bae Jun-ho earned a penalty kick, which Lee Seung-won succeeded. The first half ended 1-1.
The second half was also tight. As time passed, the two teams lost their stamina and their feet became heavy. In the 41st minute of the second half, Italy took the lead again. Simune Papundi scores a free kick from near the penalty box. Korea tried to equalize until the end, but the game ended as it was.
Although he did not make it to the finals, the achievement Kim Eun-joong achieved was clear.
The 20-year-old World Cup began in complete indifference. The level of interest was different from the previous tournament, in which players who received attention from childhood, such as Kang-in Lee (Mallorca) and Young-wook Cho (Sangmu Kim Cheon) participated, along with head coach Jeong Jeong-yong, who had already shown results in the national team by age group. It was called the ‘Valley Generation’ and did not receive expectations.
However, Kim Eun-joong thoroughly proved the appearance of ‘one team’.
From the first match of the group stage, he caused a surprise by beating strong France, and in the match against Honduras (2nd match), he showed a fighting spirit, catching up from 0-2 to 2-2. In the round of 16, they won 3-2 after a slugfest against Ecuador, and went on to fight against Nigeria in the quarterfinals.
After the match against Nigeria, coach Kim expressed his feelings of gratitude as he expressed his gratitude to the players. Coach Kim and other players emphasized the ‘one team’ in every interview and announced the direction of the national team.
In the meantime, football fans began cheering for the 20-year-old players who showed fighting spirit. It was the moment when indifference turned to interest. In the semi-finals, street cheering was held at Gwanghwamun Square. Even though I lost, it was a game enough to hear the words ‘I lost well (I lost but fought well)’.
It also announced the birth of newcomers. Lee Young-joon (Gimcheon) struggled in the forefront throughout the tournament and led the attack, while Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC) posted ‘2 goals and 4 assists’, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lee Kang-in, who won the Golden Ball last tournament. Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana) and Kim Jun-hong (Gimcheon) also made their presence known through this competition.
In the end, Kim Eun-joong showed once again that football is a team sport and proved that he deserved applause.
The national team is scheduled to play Israel on the 12th for the third place match.