Gwanghwamun is once again showing a red wave.
People will cheer for Kim Eun-ho, who reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The Korea Football Association said, “Seoul and the Red Devils will hold a group street cheer at Gwanghwamun Square to support our national team against Italy in the semi-final of the U-20 World Cup. It will be the first time in seven months that a street cheer has been organised in Gwanghwamun since the team’s round of 16 match against Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last December.
The U-20 team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, has been a miracle that no one expected. They were initially pencilled in as the underdogs without a star player of note, but they have gone from strength to strength. After a thrilling 2-1 victory over France in their opening group game, Kim’s side drew with Honduras (2-2) and Gambia (0-0) to finish second in the group. It is the first time Korea has reached the round of 16 unbeaten at a U-20 World Cup. They defeated Ecuador 3-2 in the round of 16, before beating Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals with a stoppage-time winner from Choi Seok-hyun. South Korea became the first Asian nation to reach the semi-finals of two consecutive tournaments. Coach Kim Eun-joong was in tears after reaching the quarter-finals.메이저놀이터
Kim Eun-joong is now looking to break another myth. He is aiming to reach the final of two consecutive tournaments. Four years ago in Poland, Chung’s U-20 team reached the final. They finished as runners-up, losing to Ukraine, but it was South Korea’s best-ever finish at a men’s FIFA tournament. Kim Eun-joong-ho will once again try to repeat the feat four years ago. The U-20s will face Italy in the semi-finals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup at the La Plata Stadium in Argentina on 9 September at 6am. Only four nations – the former Soviet Union, Brazil, Portugal and Argentina – have ever reached back-to-back finals. All are major footballing powers. This is South Korea’s chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
Italy is tough. The Azzurri have been on a roll lately at the U-20 World Cup. Unlike the A team, which has failed to qualify for the World Cup in two consecutive tournaments, the U-20 team has been on a roll. They have reached the quarter-finals in three consecutive tournaments, including this one. The Azzurri unleashed their homegrown talent in hopes of winning the tournament, finishing second in a deadly Group D that included Brazil, Nigeria, and the Dominican Republic. In the round of 16, the Azzurri met England, the team they defeated in the quarter-finals of last year’s European Championships, 2-1, before beating South American giants Colombia 3-1 in the quarter-finals to reach the last four. ‘Ace’ Cesare Cassaday is the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals. He has been responsible for more than half of Italy’s 11 goals. This is the strongest opposition Kim has faced so far.
It’s a chance for the Little Taeguk Warriors, who are proving themselves against the stigma of the valley generation, to get a boost. Gwanghwamun, the mecca of Korean football, is once again in full swing. It’s early, but you can still help Kim Joong-ho, who is on course for a miracle, to reach the final. The red wave at Gwanghwamun will be a huge boost for the players, who will be fighting a war on the other side of the world.