◀ Anchor ▶

Before the tournament started, there weren’t many expectations for this team.

We didn’t have a clear star player like Lee Kang-in from the last tournament, and we had very few captains.

However, our players pulled together as a team and showed tremendous performance, defeating the top teams one after the other and creating a delightful rebellion.토토사이트

By Kim Soo-geun.

◀ Report ▶

Lee Seung-woo showed off his spectacular dribbling.

Lee Kang-in was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

In the past two editions of the tournament, there was a standout star leading the national team.

But this team is different.

There are no recognisable stars and very few players who play for the national team.

So there was less interest in the lead-up to the tournament.

I felt sorry for those players.

[Kim Eun-joong/U-20 National Team Head Coach]
“I had no expectations, I had a lot of concerns, and I didn’t know much about our players, so I was upset about that as well, but I’m grateful to the players for believing in me and the coaching staff.”

The players responded to their coach’s tears with a surprise drenching.

But what they did do was incredible.

Lee Young-joon, who has only played 54 minutes of K League football this year, stunned the world with a stunning header to knock out France in the first leg, and then with a fantastic trapping and volley in the round of 16.

[Lee Young-joon/U-20 Football Team]
“I think the team is coming together as a team and believing that we can get this far and that we can go even higher.”

University player Choi Seok-hyun’s performance was also a drama.

A penalty kick foul in the group stage…

He was sent off, which could have been disheartening.

Instead, he made amends for his mistake by scoring two consecutive goals in the round of 16 and quarter-finals to help his team reach the quarter-finals.

[Choi Seok-hyun/U-20 Football Team]
“I can’t describe how I feel, it’s so good, there’s no secret, Seungwon put me up so well.”

And the player Choi praised, Lee Seung-won, hasn’t even made his professional debut yet, but is already the tournament’s top assist leader with four assists from set pieces alone.

One more step with silence rather than flamboyance…

Even when he stumbles and gets hit in the face…

Players who got up and gave it their all for their team.

A squad that has already become the best first team in the world… so much so that they don’t forget their mates who went home first due to injury and rejoice with them in that jersey.

The confidence that they can go even higher is also growing.

I’m Kim Soo-geun from MBC News.