The futures of Korean football that touched us even though we lost… “Best before third place”

The Korean under-20 (U-20) men’s soccer team lost to Italy in the semifinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The Korean U-20 soccer team led by coach Kim Eun-joong lost to Italy 1-2 in the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup held at La Plata Stadium in Argentina on the 9th (Korean time). Following the 2019 Polish tournament (runner-up), advancing to the final for the second consecutive time was canceled.

In the 14th minute of the first half, ‘Border No. 1’ Cesare Casadei gave up the opening goal. As Italy’s strong pressure came in, the ball kicked by the defense of the corner area in the Korean camp hit the defense and went to Italy’s Ricardo Turicia. He immediately crossed the ground ball in the center, and Casadei split the net as it was.

Korea balanced in the 23rd minute of the first half. Bae Jun-ho’s penalty kick was taken by Lee Seung-won with a right-footed shot to the left of the goal. Lee Seung-won recorded 2 goals and 4 assists like Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) four years ago.

Based on solid defense, they played an equal game, but conceded a goal at the end of the game. In the 41st minute of the second half, a foul resulted in a free kick from the penalty box arc line, and Simone Papundi scored the winning goal with a left-footed shot that crossed the defensive wall.

Despite the frustration of reaching the final, coach Kim praised the players. He said, “I devoted myself to the team and gave more than 100%.”

A Korean cheering squad, including local residents of Argentina, filled one side of the stadium with red, and about 1,000 people cheered on the street at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul even early in the morning. President Yoon Seok-yeol said, “The leadership of coach Kim Eun-joong, who made it to the semifinals, and the fighting spirit of the players gave hope and courage to the people. You are the future of Korean soccer.”메이저놀이터

Kim Eun-joong will have a 3-4 match against Israel on the 12th. Lee Seung-won said, “There are players who showed tears, but the tournament is not over yet. I will definitely bring results in the next game.” Bae Jun-ho, who was praised by the enemy general for his splendid individual performance, also made up his mind to “do my best until the end.”