Korea’s journey at the FIFA U-20 World Cup came to an end with a fourth-place finish following a 3-1 defeat to Israel in the third-place match. The match saw both teams scoring in the first half, but Israel found the back of the net twice in the second half to secure the victory at La Plata Stadium.
Earlier in the semifinals, Korea suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to Italy, which dashed their hopes of reaching the final. Despite falling short in their final two matches, Korea’s performance throughout the tournament was commendable.
This marked Korea’s second consecutive top-four finish in the U-20 World Cup, as they were the runners-up in 2019. The 2021 edition of the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.monaco-gare.com
Korea’s campaign included a win and two draws in the group stage, followed by knockout victories over Ecuador and Nigeria to reach the semifinals. They displayed strong resilience against Italy before conceding a late goal, and their bid to claim third place was also thwarted by an impressive Israel team.
Israel took an early lead in the 19th minute through Ran Binyamin’s spectacular scissor kick, assisted by Hamza Shibli. However, Korea quickly responded with captain Lee Seung-won converting a penalty in the 24th minute, his second penalty goal in two matches.
The match remained evenly poised in the first half, with Kim Joon-hong making important saves for Korea. In the second half, Binyamin attempted another scissor kick but missed the target, giving Korea a temporary reprieve.
Israel continued to press forward and came close to taking the lead in the 62nd minute during a goalmouth scramble. However, it was Omer Senior who broke the deadlock in the 76th minute, volleying home a cross from Anan Khalaili. Khalaili himself got on the scoresheet in the 85th minute, extending Israel’s lead to 3-1.
Despite their efforts, Korea couldn’t mount a comeback, and Israel emerged victorious to claim third place in the tournament.
While the loss was disappointing, Korea’s U-20 team showcased their talent and resilience throughout the competition, building on their previous success in the U-20 World Cup.