S. Korean team feted on return home after reaching semifinals at U-20 World Cup

S. Korean team feted on return home after reaching semifinals at U-20 World Cup: Football / 유지호 / 2023-06-14 16:26:06

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▲ Members of the South Korean men's under-20 national football team pose for photos at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after returning home from the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina on June 14, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ Players on the South Korean men's under-20 national football team toss their head coach, Kim Eun-jung (C), at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on June 14, 2023, to celebrate their fourth-place finish FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina. (Yonhap)

▲ Lee Seung-won (L), captain of the South Korean men's under-20 national football team, and his head coach, Kim Eun-jung, attend a welcome ceremony at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after returning home from the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina on June 14, 2023. (Yonhap)

football team-return

S. Korean team feted on return home after reaching semifinals at U-20 World Cup

INCHEON, June 14 (Yonhap) -- Members of the South Korean men's under-20 national football team received a hero's welcome home Wednesday, after returning from a surprise run to the semifinals at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

Coached by Kim Eun-jung, South Korea exceeded pretournament expectations and finished fourth in the competition. Captain Lee Seung-won won the Bronze Ball as the third-best player of the tournament, after leading South Korea with three goals and four assists in seven matches.

South Korea opened the tournament with a 2-1 upset over France in the group stage. Consecutive draws against Honduras and Gambia were enough to send South Korea into the knockout stage.

From there, South Korea beat Ecuador in the round of 16 and then knocked off Nigeria in the quarterfinals.

South Korea gave up a late goal to fall to Italy 2-1 in the semifinals. In the third-place match, South Korea lost to Israel 3-1.

The closing loss did little to dampen the excitement for a bright future for South Korean football.

"Before the tournament, these players didn't draw much attention, but they proved throughout the competition that they each have so much potential," Kim said during the team welcome ceremony held at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, where he and his team were greeted by hundreds of fans and media.

"I hope they will win battles against themselves and their teammates on their clubs, and keep developing as the future of Korean football," Kim said. "As their coach, I can only say 'thank you' to these players."

The coach said he'd been concerned about the players' fitness and conditioning, because many of them hadn't been playing regular minutes with their clubs.

"The quarterfinal match against Nigeria was especially hard on them," Kim said of South Korea's 1-0 win in extra time. "After we won that match, I thought my players were incredible."

Kim said the end of the U-20 World Cup means a new beginning for his players, adding, "Now that they've proven what they're capable of, they should be even more competitive on the field."

Lee, the captain, said hearing the final whistle at the end of the Nigeria win was his favorite moment of the tournament.

"As soon as the whistle blew, everyone, from players to coaches, ran onto the field, and I was overcome with emotion," Lee said. "It was in that moment that I could feel our hard work was paying off."

After the ceremony, the players tossed Kim in the air to celebrate their accomplishment, as the usually stoic coach broke into a rare smile.

Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu noted South Korea became the first Asian country to reach the semifinals at back-to-back U-20 World Cups. They were the runners-up in 2019, with the 2021 event canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I hope these players will build on this experience and play well on their clubs," Chung said. "I look forward to seeing them on national teams in the future."

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