Kim Eun-joong, U-20 World Cup preparations complete… Who will be the next star after ‘Messi Lee Kang-in’?
The International Football Federation (FIFA) U-20 (Under 20) World Cup, the gateway to stardom, opens on the 20th (local time).
The event was originally scheduled to be held in Indonesia. However, as Israel advanced to the finals, ‘anti-Israel’ public opinion was formed in Indonesia, an Islamic country. In the end, FIFA withdrew the hosting rights about a month before the opening, and decided on Argentina as the venue.
A total of 24 teams compete in the U-20 World Cup. Teams are divided into 6 groups of 4 teams each. Tickets for the round of 16 will go to the first and second place teams in each group, and the four third-place teams with good grades will also advance to the tournament. Korea, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, was in Group F along with France, Honduras and Gambia.
The U-20 World Cup is an arena where promising players from all over the world gather to compete. Young players whose skills have not yet fully developed become known throughout the world through this event. Players born on or after January 1, 2003 will participate in this competition.
So far, many stars have gone through the U-20 World Cup. Diego Maradona (Argentina), one of the greatest players ever, won the Golden Ball (MVP) at the 2nd Japan Tournament in 1979. Several Golden Ball winners in the 2000s, such as Lionel Messi (2005), Sergio Aguero (Above Argentina, 2007) and Paul Pogba (France, 2013), have risen to world-class stars.
In the previous 2019 Poland tournament, Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) was reborn as the best star. He played an active part as the ace of the Korean U-20 national team led by coach Jeong Jeong-yong at the time and led the runner-up. He was the highlight of the tournament, posting 2 goals and 4 assists in 7 games. Although he failed to reach the top by losing to Ukraine, he won the Golden Ball.
In Kim Eun-joong, who is expected to have good results in this tournament, Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense), who is active in Portugal, and Kang Seong-jin (FC Seoul), who stood out on the domestic stage, and Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen) deserve attention.
The U-20 World Cup kicks off with matches between Guatemala and New Zealand and the United States and Ecuador at 3:00 am on the 21st, Korean time. Korea, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, will play the first group match against France at 3:00 am on the 23rd. Kim Eun-joong, who left for Brazil on the 7th, set up a training camp in Sao Paulo and spent ten days preparing for the competition. On the 17th, he entered Mendoza, Argentina, the land of the decisive battle.
Director Kim Eun-joong said,메이저사이트 “I have successfully completed various adaptations, including jet lag, in Brazil. Fortunately, the environment in Mendoza is not much different from that in Brazil, so the players will not have any difficulties,” he said, expressing his determination.
Kang Seong-jin said, “There must be fans who have been waiting for the U-20 World Cup, but we are preparing hard. As much as I had fun training, I will prepare well to show a better image.”