Kim Eun-Joong-ho made history in South Korean soccer. At the U-20 World Cup, the team went into the tournament “undefeated” in their group. The last time South Korea went undefeated in the group stage was in 1993. However, they were eliminated in the group stage that time.
The Korea U-20 National Team drew 0-0 with Gambia in their final Group C match at the U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023 on Monday (Sept. 29) at the Mendoza Stadium in Mendoza, Argentina. South Korea has one win and two draws. South Korea, who finished second in the group, will face Ecuador on June 2 at 6 a.m. at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades.
South Korea advanced to the round of 16 early. Kim Eun-jung-ho has one win and one draw (4 points) in his first two matches. The tournament will feature the top 12 teams from each of the first through second place finishers in Groups A through F, as well as the top four teams from the third place finishers in each group, in the Round of 16. South Korea secured a spot in the tournament as the minimum ‘3rd place wildcard’. This marks the third consecutive tournament in which South Korea has advanced to the Round of 16.
The final game was a ranking match. Prior to this game, Gambia (6 points) was ranked first and South Korea was ranked second. If South Korea wins the final match, they will advance to the round of 16 as the group winner and face Group E runner-up Uruguay. If they draw, they will finish second in the group. Even if they lose, they could still finish second depending on the outcome of the France-Honduras match. In that case, they’ll face Group B runner-up Ecuador. If they finished third and advanced to the round of 16, they would face Group D’s top seed Brazil.
Kim Eun-joong went with a rotation for the final game. He changed seven positions compared to the second game against Honduras on the 26th. Lee Young-joon (Gimcheon Commerce), Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC), Kang Sung-jin (FC Seoul), and Kim Ji-soo (Seongnam FC) all made changes. The front line of the 4-2-3-1 formation was once again started by Lee Young-joon. Lee Ji-han (Freiburg), Lee Seung-won, and Kang Sung-jin started in the second line. Park Hyun-bin (Incheon United) and Lee Chan-wook (Gyeongnam FC) partnered in the defensive midfield. In the back four were Choi Ye-hoon (Busan I-Park), Hwang In-taek (Seoul Eland), Kim Ji-soo (Seoul), and Cho Young-kwang (Seoul). Moon Hyun-ho (Chungnam Asan) was in goal.
The Gambia also came out with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Adama Bojang led the attack. Mansour Mbiye, Bailo Ba, and Lamine Marong all provided support behind him. Muhammed Jobe and Mamoudou Bajo played as double-bolsters. The defense was manned by Saini Sanyang, Alagie Sainé, Dembo Saidikane Bakari Zawara. The goalkeeper’s gloves were worn by Pa Eboue Dampa. 토토사이트
토토사이트 The match started. Neither team was in a hurry. It was an early exploratory game. South Korea was the first to strike. In the 11th minute, Kang Sung-jin shook her opponent from the right side and fired a powerful shot. However, Kang’s shot went just wide of the goal. By the 20th minute, South Korea had 43% of the ball and Zambia 49%. The contested situation was at 8%. It was tense. Zambia increased the intensity of their attack after Bojang’s header in the 22nd minute. Zambia used their speed to create a number of attackers for a moment. South Korea conceded back-to-back shots. After the crisis, South Korea tried to counterattack with a quick counterattack, but no one was able to score. The first half ended 0-0.
At the start of the second half, South Korea made a substitution. They took out Lee Seung-won and put in Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai). The Gambia immediately went on the offensive. In the second minute of the second half, Ba’s cross was headed in by Bozang. Moon Hyun-ho made the save. Ndiaye, who switched from right to left, also tried his luck with a powerful shot, but Moon made the save.
The Gambia also made a substitution. Salifou Koli and Mamin Sanyang came on for Bawa Marong. In the midst of the Gambia’s chaotic situation, South Korea took the lead through Kang Sung-jin’s individual effort. However, Kang’s shot was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. South Korea made two changes, dropping Lee Chan-wook and Kang Sung-jin in favor of Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen) and Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense).
The Gambia attacked hard. In the 22nd minute, Kohli fired a powerful shot. Moon Hyun-ho made an animalistic save. However, Moon’s punch hit the goalpost and fell near the goal line. Moon calmly collected the ball in the midst of the action. The Gambia got a goal three minutes later through Bojang. However, the goal was disallowed because Bojang was offside.
South Korea made another substitution. Lee Ji-han was replaced by Lee Seung-jun (FC Seoul). Lee scored with his first touch to turn the game around. South Korea upped the pace of their attack with Kim Yong-hak, their ‘charge leader’. But the finishing wasn’t perfect. South Korea played their last card in the 40th minute by taking off Choi Ye-hoon and putting on Bae Seo-joon (Daejeon).
The second half saw seven minutes of added time. South Korea played calmly. They increased the intensity of their attacks and raised their senses. However, the expected goal did not come. The match ended 0-0. South Korea finished second in the group and advanced to the round of 16.