U-20 World Cup Team Loses 1-2 to Italy... 3rd Place Match Against Israel

The South Korean men's under-20 (U-20) soccer team suffered a narrow one-goal defeat against Italy in the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Led by coach Kim Eun-jung, the South Korean team conceded one goal each in the first and second halves, losing 1-2 to Italy in the semifinals held on the 9th (Korean time) at the La Plata stadium in Argentina.

In the 14th minute of the first half, the team conceded the opening goal to Cesare Casadei, who is aiming to be the top scorer of the tournament. However, in the immediate subsequent attack, Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon) earned a penalty kick, which captain Lee Seung-won (Gangwon) calmly converted to equalize the score.

The team conceded a heartbreaking goal in the 41st minute of the second half. They allowed a free kick from the penalty box arc area, and substitute Simone Pafundi directly scored, netting the winning goal.

Korean players are disappointed after conceding the winning goal just before the end of the second half and losing 1-2.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The team will play against Israel in the third-place match at 2:30 AM on the 12th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.