Despite some questionable refereeing decisions, goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Gimcheon Sangmu) did his job until the end.
Kim Eun-joong’s South Korea Under-20 soccer team won 2-1 against France at the Mendoza Stadium in Mendoza, Argentina, at 3:00 a.m. KST on Wednesday in their first Group F match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023.
With the win, South Korea advances to the Round of 16, where they will face Honduras in the second leg on June 26 and Gambia in the final group game on June 29.
After falling behind early in the first half, South Korea finally had a chance to break through in the opening 10 minutes. Lee Young-joon fired a rebound from the front of the arc, but the ball went straight at the goalkeeper.
South Korea was heavily out-shot in the first 15 minutes, about 2-8. They also had no free kick opportunities in the first 15 minutes.
That changed in the middle of the first half. They scored the first goal on a counterattack, and then added another on a set piece in the second half. Despite some questionable refereeing decisions in the second half, Korea held on for a one-goal victory.
In the 22nd minute, South Korea scored the first goal of the game. Kang Sung-jin, who won a cloudy ball during a corner kick crisis for France, passed the ball to Kim Yong-hak on the left flank. After a quick run, he passed the ball to Lee Seung-won on his right, who rattled the French goal with a low, quick shot. One shot, one kill.
In the 25th minute, South Korea pressed forward and forced their opponents to miss a pass. They had a few chances to shoot in the confusion, but no luck. The first half ended with Korea leading 1-0.
South Korea added another goal. In the 19th minute of the second half, Lee Young-joon scored a header from a free kick. He was assisted by Lee Seung-won, the man who scored the first goal.
The two-goal lead was short-lived. In the 21st minute of the second half, goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong and substitute Efekeler went down while competing for the ball. Kim was struck in the face by an opponent’s shoulder and lay on the ground for a while in pain, but the referee gave him a warning and awarded a penalty kick to France.
The referee’s decision was based on his judgment that the goalkeeper had caused an unnecessary contest. However, it was a collision between two players in an undetermined situation. It was an odd call, to say the least.
“Although the collision was not intentional during a contested cross, the referee awarded a foul to Kim Jun-hong because the collision occurred after the ball had passed,” the FIFA website explains.
South Korea conceded from the penalty spot to kicker Birginius before goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong could recover.
But South Korea didn’t falter. The Korean bench had a backup goalkeeper ready just in case. No substitutions were made.스포츠토토
Despite the bizarre call and the goal, Kim Jun-hong remained focused until the end. He made several super saves as France pushed forward in the second half. South Korea, who did their part in attack and kept the ball in goal in difficult situations, got off to a good beginning