◀ Anchor ▶
The Korean national football team is participating in the U20 World Cup.
As the team is being praised for its growth in every game, expectations are growing for the future of Korean football.
Park Jae-woong is the reporter.메이저사이트
◀ Report ▶
Kim Ji-soo, an 18-year-old defender, was the centre of attention from European football before the tournament.
Compensating for Choi Seok-hyun’s relative lack of height, she competed with the strikers and was a key part of the defence, playing full-time in all but one game.
[Kim Ji-Soo/U-20 National Football Team]
“I didn’t defend alone, all the players helped me, so I think we were able to defend well…”
Bae Junho was the centre of the defence.
After a fantastic assist and goal…he won a penalty and made fun of the opposition defence, turning heads after the round of 16.
[Bae Jun-ho/U-20 National Football Team]
“I’m sorry that I didn’t create any offensive points myself, and I don’t think I was able to help my teammates.”
There were also surprise performances from players with no professional experience.
Captain Lee Seung-won, who has only played in the fourth division, was involved in six of the team’s nine goals, matching Lee Kang-in four years ago…Choi Seok-hyun, the only university student among the field players, made a name for himself as a goal-scoring defender.
[Kim Eun-joong/U-20 national team coach]
“We have players who have grown so much that we’re surprised…I think they’ve grown to the next level because they’ve been with us for about a year and seven months, and they’ve proven that they’ve brought out this potential that they didn’t even know they had, and that they’re competitive.”
As the team continues to improve with each game, expectations are growing for the future of Korean football beyond this tournament.
[Steady Hwan/MBC commentator]
“When you look at the level of discipline and patience in the game, these are the players who will eventually be the main players in 2026…”