Kim Eun-joong’s U-20 team won their first Group F match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 against France 2-1 at the Mendoza Stadium in Mendoza, Argentina on Wednesday (June 23).
The win over France, considered the strongest team in Group F, was a positive start to the tournament. It’s a positive result that should make the group stage easier to navigate going forward. Their chances of reaching the round of 16 have also increased dramatically.
South Korea lined up in a 4-2-3-1 in attack and more of a 4-4-2 in defense. Lee Young-joon was up front, followed by Kim Yong-hak, Kang Sang-yoon, and Kang Sung-jin in the second line. Lee Seung-won and Lee Chan-wook held the midfield, while Kim Ji-soo and Choi Seok-hyun were the central defenders, and Bae Seo-joon and Park Chang-woo were the left and right side backs. Kim Jun-hong was the starting goalkeeper.
In the early stages of the game, South Korea played cautiously. They dropped their line and stacked blocks to disrupt France’s offense. They lost the possession battle, but once they had the ball, they were able to mount a meaningful offense centered around Lee Young-joon up front. In the 10th minute of the first half, Lee hit a powerful mid-range shot straight at the goalkeeper.
Kim’s plan to play from the back paid off. The first goal came in the 22nd minute. A ball from Kang Sung-jin was collected by Kim Yong-hak, who broke through and found Lee Seung-won on the other side. Lee rattled the net with a calm finish. The team’s captain, Lee Seung-won, stood out with his performance throughout the offense.
France panicked. They made some threatening breaks down the flanks, but overall, their attack looked incomplete. South Korea, on the other hand, played calmly and composed, threatening their opponents.
At the start of the second half, Korea made a change in the center. Lee Chan-wook came off and Park Hyun-bin came on to change the midfield combination. 메이저사이트
The second half wasn’t much different from the first. France had more time on the ball and tried to attack, while Korea focused on efficient play rather than possession.
There was even a crisis. In the fifth minute of the second half, a cross from the left was blocked by Park Hyun-min with a header, but the ball was headed towards our goal. Goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong was able to get out of the way and save the goal.
After that, France continued to attack relentlessly. Korea was unable to respond to France’s delicate attacks and kept conceding shots.
With the score tied at 2-2, Korea made a substitution 13 minutes into the second half. Hwang In-taek came on for Bae Seo-joon and Lee Ji-han for Kim Yong-hak.
The atmosphere stabilized after the substitutions, as Lee Ji-han continued to possess the ball on the flank and stemmed the flow of the opposition.