Korea coach grateful for players' effort in U-20 World Cup win
Korean players hold up their national flag, Taegeukgi, to celebrate their 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the quarterfinals at the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Santiago del Estero Stadium in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, June 4. AP-Yonhap
Before Korea faced Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina on Sunday (local time), head coach Kim Eun-jung had told his charges to keep battling until the final whistle.
Kim's players went out and did exactly that, as they knocked off Nigeria 1-0 in extra time to punch their ticket to the semifinals.
"I'd like to say thank you to them," Kim said in a televised interview after the match, choking back on tears. "They've done an incredible job. It's great to see them become the future of Korean football."
Defender Choi Seok-hyun headed in the winning goal five minutes into extra time at Santiago del Estero Stadium in Santiago del Estero, northern Argentina. Choi's header, set up by Lee Seung-won's corner, was Korea's only shot on target in the match.
Nigeria dominated the run of play and had 22 shot attempts, compared to just four by Korea.
But beating opponents while getting outplayed on the statistical board has been the running theme for Korea at this tournament.
Korea head coach Kim Eun-jung gives orders to his players against Nigeria during the teams' quarterfinal match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Santiago del Estero Stadium in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, June 4. AP-Yonhap
Korea have now reached the final four at the second consecutive U-20 World Cup, after finishing as the runners-up in 2019. The 2021 event was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's squad didn't draw quite as much attention as the 2019 team, which featured a game-breaking star in midfielder Lee Kang-in, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament MVP despite being just 18.
The lack of star power hasn't been an issue for Kim's team, as the coach has been able to push all the right buttons to lead the no-name bunch to within a win of the championship match.
Korea's Choi Seok-hyun celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Nigeria during the extra time of a FIFA U-20 World Cup quarterfinal soccer match at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, June 4. AP-Yonhap
"Honestly, there were no expectations for our team, and there were only concerns," Kim said. "People didn't really know much about our players, and they weren't too happy with that. It's a shame because these players have so much potential and people just didn't recognize that."
Kim refused to take any credit for the team's success in Argentina, saying, "They've brought out the best in themselves with their own hands."
Korea will face Italy in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Thursday in La Plata, eastern Argentina, or 6 a.m. Friday in Seoul time. (Yonhap)