The South Korea U-20 team got off to a flying start in the group stage. They recorded their first win of the tournament after beating ‘favorites’ France in the same group.
The South Korean U-20 team, led by head coach Kim Eun-joong, faced France in their first match of Group F at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 in Mendoza, Argentina, on June 23 (KST). The team won 2-1 with an efficient performance. It was the first time South Korea had beaten France at a U-20 World Cup.
South Korea deployed Lee Young-joon up front, with Kim Yong-hak and Kang Sung-jin providing firepower on the left and right. Lee Seung-won, Kang Sang-yoon, and Lee Chan-wook coordinated the attack and defense from the back, while Bae Seo-joon, Kim Ji-soo, Choi Seok-hyun, and Park Chang-woo defended. Kim Jun-hong wore the goalkeeping gloves.
It was a tight game from the start. Both teams’ concepts were clear. France, the ‘favorites’ with the objective power advantage, controlled the ball, while South Korea looked to strike a counterattack on the counterattack. France utilized flanking attacks to shake Korea and dig in.
Korea took advantage of the situation by pressing from the high area to clear the ball and quickly counterattack. Lee Young-joon intercepted the ball and shot, but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 15th minute, Lee Seung-won had a shot from a free kick that hit the wall. France threatened Korea through Juju, Birginius, and Jurc.
After a back-and-forth game, Korea scored the first goal. South Korea struck first in the 22nd minute after blocking a French corner kick. The combination play of Kim Yong-hak and Lee Seung-won stood out. Lee received a pass from Kim Yong-hak and calmly finished. After rattling the net, Lee Seung-won teamed up with Lee Young-joon to send chills down France’s spine.
South Korea made a change in the second half after taking the lead. They took off Lee Chan-wook at the start of the second half and brought on Park Hyun-bin. France increased the tempo of their offense and focused on scoring a goal. They pushed hard, but goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong made a great save.먹튀검증
Korea took the lead in the 13th minute through Hwang In-taek and Lee Ji-han. The French attack was met with a body-throwing defense. Just as the French attack was beginning to look like a chance, another goal came. In the 19th minute of the second half, Lee Young-joon sensibly cut off Lee Seung-won’s free kick and rattled the net. It was a moment that threw cold water on France’s hopes of equalizing.
France did get a goal. A penalty kick was awarded after a collision between Kim Jun-hong and Efekele. Birginius stepped up to take the spot kick and reignite the chase. Korea’s mood dropped, but they remained focused until the end. Goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong was still able to make saves. In the eight minutes of extra time, he held off the French attack to secure the three valuable points.