Kim Eun-joong (44) and the South Korea Under-20 football team (U-20) have been dealt an unnecessary blow as they failed to book their place in the round of 16 early, with Kim Jun-hong (19-Gimcheon Sangmu) and Choi Seok-hyun (20-Dankook University) ruled out of their final group game against Gambia.
Kim Eun-Joong-ho conceded a late goal in the second match of Group F at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023 at the Mendoza Stadium in Mendoza, Argentina, on 26 June (06:00 GMT), but consecutive goals from Kim Yong-hak (20-Portimonense) and Park Seung-ho (19-Incheon United) secured a 2-2 draw.
The result leaves Korea in second place in Group F (D1, L1, P4), with a place in the round of 16 to be decided in the final group game against The Gambia on 29 June. The Koreans continued their dominance in the all-time series against Honduras (at U-20 level) with three wins, two draws and one defeat.먹튀검증
It’s not a bad situation for Kim, as even if they lose the final game, they still have a chance to qualify for the round of 16. Away from the result, however, the team suffered a setback when goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong and centre-back Choi Seok-hyun were ruled out of the match against the Gambia.
Kim Jun-hong was shown a yellow card late in the game for stalling ahead of a stoppage-time goal kick. He had previously picked up one yellow card against France, so he will not be able to play against the Gambia. While he made some unfortunate mistakes on the day, his absence will be sorely missed after two consecutive games of solid goalkeeping.
Choi Seok-hyun was sent off for accumulating cautions. He was shown a yellow card in the 36th minute for a handball near the halfway line in a battle for an aerial ball, and then received a second yellow card in stoppage time for a deliberate foul to prevent a counter-attack.
Naturally, Kim was in deep trouble. He will not be able to field his best line-up for the Gambia game, which will decide whether or not they advance to the round of 16. The absence of Kim Jun-hong and Choi Seok-hyun will be particularly frustrating, as the coach was likely planning to rotate his key players to ensure their fitness for the final game of the tournament.