Reporter Yoon Hyo-yong= Kim Eun-joong’s practical soccer paid off against ‘powerhouse’ France.
South Korea’s Kim Eun-Joong defeated France 2-1 in the first match of Group F of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the Mendoza Stadium in Argentina at 3 a.m. (KST). South Korea moved into first place in the group.
France, the ‘best’ team in the group, is one of the favorites to win the tournament. They were drawn as Port 1 in the draw and are the only team in Group F to have won the U20 World Cup (2013). South Korea is one of the only teams in Group F that is completely outmatched. South Korea has one win, three draws, and four losses in eight games against the French U20 team.
Head coach Kim Eun-joong was realistic. He deployed Kim Yong-hak and Kang Sung-jin on the flanks in a 3-4-3 formation, looking to counter-attack. Lee Young-joon, who has good height, was placed up front to provide service. In defense, they dropped to a five-back defense. 먹튀검증
From the beginning of the game, Korea gave France the lead, but there was no major crisis. Instead, they capitalized on a counterattack opportunity and scored the first goal. In the 23rd minute, after France blocked a corner kick, Kim Yong-hak sprinted down the left side of the field and launched a counterattack. Kim Yong-hak peeled off one defender, crossed the halfway line, and saw Lee Seung-won penetrating from the other side. After getting close to the penalty area, Lee fired a precise right-footed shot into the back of the net.
South Korea went into halftime with a one-goal lead. They hunkered down early in the second half in anticipation of the French offense. In the 18th minute of the second half, South Korea won a free kick on the left side of the opponent’s box and Lee Seung-won headed it back to Lee Young-joon. The shot was headed into the corner where goalkeeper Ro Tutala could not react.