FIFA Under-20 World Cup tournament:  S. Korea beat Nigeria to reach semi-finals

South Korea pulled through in extra time to beat Nigeria 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup on Sunday, advancing to the semi-finals of the competition for the second consecutive tourna­ment.

It was a nail-biter of a knock­out game at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Es­tero, Argentina, with both sides unable to break the deadlock throughout the regulation 90 minutes.

Korea’s chance finally came at the start of extra time, taking the lead in the 95th minute and holding on to it with bitter determina­tion for the remaining 25 minutes of the match.

For the second game in a row, it was defend­er Choi Seok-hyun that provided the magic touch.

Choi headed in a Lee Seung-won corner in the 95th minute to secure the win, the exact same set piece that lifted the young Taeguk Warriors past Ecuador in the round of 16.

“I think Lee Seung-won put it up so well that I was easily able to get my head to it,” Choi said after the game. “Expe­riencing extra time for the first time today was a challenge physically. I’m happy to walk away with a win.”

As in previous games, Korea relied on precision and accuracy, maxi­mising their few chances while holding off the Nigerian onslaught. Nigeria controlled the vast majority of the game — with 61 per

cent of the pos­session and 21 shots to Korea’s four — but the young Taeguk Warriors trusted their defence to hold off the on­slaught and capitalised on the oppor­tunities they created.

The same approach was visible against Ecuador — who had 70 per cent of the possession and 26 shots to Korea’s eight — and paid off then too, but may become increasingly difficult to maintain in the late stages of the tournament.

“It was difficult because both teams played careful games,” head coach, Kim Eun-jung, said after the game. “The most important thing was con­centration. I want to thank the squad for holding out so long.”

With the win, Korea reach the final four for the second consecutive U-20 World Cup in a row. At the previ­ous tournament in 2019, the young Taeguk Warriors finished second after losing to Ukraine in the final.

This marks the first time that any Korean football team at any level has reached back-to-back semifinals at a FIFA tournament.

Korea will now advance to face Italy — who beat Colombia 3-1 in the quarters — in the semifinals on Thursday. — koreajoongangdaily