It wasn’t easy against France. Coach Kim Eun-joong’s must-win strategy worked perfectly.
Kim Eun-joong’s South Korea Under-20 National Team (U-20) recorded a 2-1 victory over the France U-20s in the first match of Group F of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina, at 3:00 a.m. KST on Wednesday.
The team, who finished ‘runners-up’ in the last edition of the tournament, were hoping to go as high as possible in this one. They were paired with tough opponents in the group stage, including France, Honduras, and Gambia, and faced “favorites” France in the first round.스포츠토토
Still, the team was strong. Despite France’s intense offense, they never lost their defensive focus. In fact, they rattled the French net twice with effective counterattacks. Despite some questionable calls from the referee, the players showed their determination and kept the score at 2-1.
It was a moment when Kim’s tactics worked perfectly. In the post-match interview, he said, “As France was the favorite, we decided to play defensively and counter-attack, and the players responded well. In the second half, France pushed hard on offense, but I was happy that we focused on defense and didn’t concede a goal.”
It was a game that showed the fighting spirit of all the players. “It was important for all 21 players to play as a team,” said Kim Eun-joong, who praised the role of all the players.
The team now has two more matches against Honduras and Gambia. Coach Kim concluded, “The first match is now over. Both Honduras and Gambia are not easy matches, so we will prepare thoroughly,” he said.