You never know what will happen in the U-20 World Cup. That is uncharted territory.
The U-20 soccer team led by coach Kim Eun-joong was placed in Group F with France, Gambia and Honduras at the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Argentina in May. They will play their first match against France on the 22nd, Honduras on the 25th, and Gambia on the 28th.
On the surface, it seems like you’re in an easy boat. France’s national team A is the best in the world, but the U-20 national team lost to Israel in the semifinals of the UEFA Under-19 Championship. Neither the Gambia nor Honduras are traditional soccer powerhouses, so it can be seen that Korea is not an opponent that cannot be overcome.메이저놀이터
I can’t say that it’s an easy group, though. Traditionally, the U-20 World Cup is a stage for surprises. A team came out that produced unexpected results regardless of the FIFA rankings or the strength of the national team A. Even in 2019, the Korean national team led by coach Jeong Jeong-yong vomited up the runner-up. The opponent in the final was also Ukraine. Before the tournament, few expected the two teams to advance to the final.
Just looking at this tournament, Argentina, the host country, was eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup qualifier, the South American Championship. Qatar was the winner of the World Cup last year, but the U-20 national team did not even make it to the finals. If the host country had not changed dramatically, Argentina would have had to watch the World Cup from the outside.
France is, of course, on the alert. The same goes for Honduras. Korea had the experience of being beaten by Honduras in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Since it was a tournament for the under-23 national team, the U-20 national team cannot lower its guard.
The Gambia is also not easy to see. Traditionally, in the U-20 World Cup, African teams with superior physical performance have performed well. In the last tournament, Mali and Senegal both advanced to the quarterfinals. Upon entering the tournament, Group F may be evaluated as the group of death, depending on the strength of Honduras and Gambia.
Analysis has limitations. U-20 age players grow and change every day. In some cases, players who did not compete in the preliminaries may participate. Even if coach Kim and other coaches thoroughly analyze their strength, it does not mean that they are perfectly prepared for the finals.
Coach Kim cautiously said, “All teams that advance to the World Cup are not easy opponents,” and that “the first goal is to advance to the round of 16,” because it is unknown what will happen in the U-20 World Cup.
