Little Taegeuk Warriors set out to defeat Uzbekistan, the host country, to regain the top spot in Asia for the first time in 11 years.
The national under-20 (U-20) soccer team led by coach Kim Eun-joong (44) will play the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup with Uzbekistan at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan at 11:00 pm (Korean time) on the 15th. play the semi-finals. The national team, which qualified for the U-20 World Cup finals in Indonesia in May, is aiming for the top spot in Asia for the first time in 11 years since 2012.
Uzbekistan, the opponent of the quarterfinals토토사이트, has not been on the world stage since the 2013 U-20 World Cup and U-17 World Cup, despite emerging as an Asian powerhouse. It is a will to inflate expectations by winning the U-20 Asian Cup, which will be held at home, as it has stepped on the stage of the U-20 World Cup again this year.
Uzbekistan’s formidable power and enthusiastic support from home fans are burdensome, but there is no reason to be afraid of the national team, which boasted formidable firepower throughout the tournament. He scored 6 goals in the 3 group stage matches in which the rotation was activated every game, and also scored 3 goals in the quarterfinal match against China (3-1 win), where he suffered rough fouls and delays. Defensively, they were flawless, conceding only one goal in four matches.
As coach Kim said, “Many players will become aces,” the secret is a rich player pool. The offense includes Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense), Kang Seong-jin (FC Seoul), Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen), and Seong Jin-yeong (Korea University), who have good speed and technique. On top of that, the presence of Lee Young-joon (Chief Executive Officer Kim Cheon), who overwhelms the opponent with force, is also significant. Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC), Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), and Kim Hee-seung (Daegu FC) hold out in the midfield, while Hwang In-taek (Seoul E-Land), Choi Seok-hyeon (Dankook University), and Kim Ji-su (Seongnam FC) defend a solid defense.
The national team is tightly united with the will to return to the top. Seong Jin-young, who scored the winning goal against China, said after confirming their progress to the semifinals, “I am particularly happy that all the players have won tickets to the World Cup,” but added, “But we have to go further and look high. I will thoroughly prepare for the match against Uzbekistan,” he said with strength.