◀ Anchor ▶
After reaching the quarter-finals of the U20 World Cup for the second time in a row, the Korean national football team will face Italy in the semi-final in three days’ time.
The team is looking beyond the myth of being runners-up four years ago with a tight defence that has been the driving force behind their unbeaten run.스포츠토토
Jang Hoon Son is a reporter.
◀ Report ▶
Three wins and two draws in five matches.
The national team is the only unbeaten team among the 24 participating nations.
In particular, the three wins were the result of meticulously prepared tactics.
Each time, they were heavily outplayed in terms of possession and had more than 20 shots on target, but they didn’t concede a goal except from penalties and set pieces.
Their organisation in maintaining a tightly-coordinated defence, as well as their physical defence that threw themselves at the physical limits of their bodies, was aided by some brilliant saves from their goalkeepers.
[Seo Hyung-wook/MBC commentator]
“(Our team) plays a very patient football based on defensive solidity, and our players did a good job of playing their roles, and it paid off in the quarter-finals.”
Defence has also been key in the quarter-finals.
Reaching the final will hinge on Italy’s explosiveness – they have scored 11 goals in five games of the tournament – and how effectively they contain Cassaday, who tops the scoring charts with six goals on his own.
[Steady Hwan/MBC commentator]
“It may not be more fun (against Italy), but I think we need to use physical football to endure and play a little bit more fast-paced counter-attack.”
With each passing match, the team has fully embraced the ‘football that doesn’t lose’ that Kim Eun-jung has built.
[Lee Seung-won/U-20 captain].
“Even if we don’t keep the ball for a long time, when we use our strength, we use it well, and I think playing effective football is the best way to show our colours.”
Expectations are also growing that the team can go even higher than their runner-up finish four years ago.