S. Korea advances to U-17 World Cup round of 16

Lee Seung-woo, right, vies for the ball with Mohamed Camara of Guinea during their FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 football match in La Serena, Chile, Tuesday. / AFP-Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

The South Korean team continued with its campaign Wednesday at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, securing a ticket to the round of 16 after a 1-0 win over Guinea.

In their second Group B match at Estadio La Portada Stadium in the Chilean city of La Serena, substitute Oh Se-hun’s winning goal in injury time helped the Koreans secure at least second place in the group.

The two sides seemed destined to finish their match goalless after more than 90 minutes of a neck-and-neck battle as the Guinean team displayed plenty of energy and the South Korean team showed solid defense and swift counter attacking.

Two minutes minute into injury time, however, Oh, who had just replaced FC Barcelona’s Lee Seung-woo, produced a stunning play, lashing the ball into the net after being set up by You Ju-an.

Oh Se-hun, left, celebrates his goal against Guinea with a teammate during their FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015 football match in La Serena, Chile, Tuesday. / AFP-Yonhap

With the win, the South Korean team that had already beaten Brazil 1-0, Saturday, is guaranteed to move on to the next round regardless of the remaining Group B match results. Brazil, defeating England 1-0 in La Serena earlier Wednesday, placed second, while England and Guinea, who have one draw and one loss respectively share third place.

South Korean team coach Choi Jin-cheul said that his players performed well against Guinea in targeting their opponent’s weak defense in the second half.

“Guinea were difficult to beat, very fast on the counter with four good attackers,” Choi was quoted on FIFA’s official webpage after the match. “But their defense weakened in the second half and we gradually gained the upper hand.”

The former national team defender also added that his team has more left to show.

“We still have a lot more to show in this World Cup. So far we have defended and countered well, but I think we can show more offensive play. We have the players to do the job,” Choi said.

It has been six years since a South Korean team has made it to the second round when they reached the quarterfinals in the biennial international men’s youth football championship in 2009.

Their opponent in the round of 16 has not been decided yet ― if the South Korean team is placed first in Group B, they will play against one of the four top ranked third-placed teams; if it is placed second, they will play against the second-place team in Group F, which is made up of France, Paraguay, Syria and New Zealand. Featuring a total of 24 teams in four groups, the top two from each group and the four best third-place teams will make up the round of 16.

The South Koreans will have their last Group B match against England at Estadio Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso Stadium in the Chilean city of Coquimbo on Saturday, Korean Standard Time. Securing six points with two wins, the South Korean team can place first if they secure at least a draw with England.