At the U-20 World Cup held in Poland in 2019, the Korean national soccer team advanced to the finals for the first time in a competition hosted by the International Football Federation (FIFA) . The national team, which had one step left in winning the championship, lost 1-3 to Ukraine and finished runner-up. In this competition, Lee Kang-in (22, Mallorca) revealed the future of Korean football. Lee Kang-in won the tournament’s best player (Golden Ball) with 2 goals and 4 assists, becoming the first player since Lionel Messi (36, Paris Saint-Germain) to win the Golden Ball at the age of 18. In addition, Elling Hollan (22, Manchester City), who is bombarding the English Premier League (EPL), and Darwin Núñez (24, Liverpool), a new engine in Portugal, also showed their presence through this competition.
The 23rd U-20 World Cup, played by future superstars, is just around the corner. The national team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, will advance to the round of 16 for the third time in a row at the tournament, which opens in Argentina on the 20th of next month. The U-20 World Cup was scheduled to be held in Indonesia in 2021, but the tournament was postponed in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). In addition, as local political and religious issues arose, the venue was changed to Argentina. For the national team, which prepared for the match in Indonesia, where the time difference is not large, it was burdened to play in Argentina, on the other side of the world. There is a 12 hour difference between Argentina and Korea. Director Kim said, “In Indonesia, I won gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang in 2018, and I was confident because I was used to the environment, but the venue has changed.”
However, the group composition is evaluated to be okay. The national team was in a group with France, Honduras and Gambia. Coach Kim picked France as the team to be most wary of. Coach Kim said, “France is a candidate for the championship,” and “As expected, it is a team with excellent physical and individual capabilities, so a close analysis is needed.” He continued, “All teams in the World Cup have good power,” and emphasized, “The first goal is to pass the group stage.” The national team, the runner-up in the last tournament, also advanced to the round of 16 in the 2017 home tournament.
The national team was convened at the Paju National Team Training Center (NFC) on the 24th. It was after receiving cooperation from the club because the K-League was in progress. The list included 10 players who participated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup in March, including Lee Yeong-jun (20, Sangmu Kimcheon). Jung Ji-hoon (20, Gwangju FC) and Lee Seung-jun (19, FC Seoul) also joined. 스포츠토토
The 25 young players had a practice game with Incheon United in the K League 1 on the 25th and worked together. In this match, the national team conceded the opening goal, but Lee Seon-ho (20, Daejeon Hana Citizen) and Park Seung-ho (20, Incheon United) scored to win 2-1. The national team will have another practice game against Incheon National University on the 26th. An official from the Korea Football Association said, “The final list of the national team is 21 people,” and “the outline of the team, including reserve players, is expected to be revealed around the 6th.” The national team leaves for Argentina on the 7th.
Attention is focusing on whether a superstar who will succeed Lee Kang-in will be born in this competition. A high-ranking official from the Korea Football Association said, “Most of the members of the national team are promising players active in the K-League.” did.