Korea Falls Short of U-20 World Cup Final... 1-2 Defeat to Italy in 'Rough Physical Battle'

3rd and 4th Place Match with Israel on the 12th

The South Korean U-20 men's soccer team suffered a narrow one-goal defeat against Italy in the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Led by coach Kim Eun-jung, the South Korean team conceded one goal each in the first and second halves, losing 1-2 to Italy in the semifinals held on the 9th (Korean time) at the La Plata stadium in Argentina during the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

In the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinal match between Korea and Italy, Lee Seung-won is being tackled harshly by an opposing player.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Coach Kim Eun-jung faced Italy with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Lee Young-jun (Gimcheon) played as the lone striker, with Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon), Lee Seung-won (Gangwon), and Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense) positioned behind him. Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk) and Park Hyun-bin (Incheon) controlled the midfield, while Cho Young-kwang (Seoul), Choi Seok-hyun (Dankook University), Kim Ji-soo (Seongnam), and Choi Ye-hoon (Busan) were responsible for the defense. Goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Gimcheon) started in goal.

In the 14th minute of the first half, South Korea conceded the opening goal to Cesare Casadei, who is aiming to be the top scorer of the tournament. Casadei connected a low cross from Riccardo Turicchia with a right-footed mid-range shot, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament.

Lee Seung-won, captain of the South Korea U-20 men's soccer team, is cheering after successfully scoring a penalty kick in the 23rd minute of the first half to equalize 1-1 during the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinal match against Italy on the 9th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

South Korea did not give up and equalized just nine minutes later. Bae Jun-ho was fouled by Italy's Mattia Chanot inside the penalty box, earning a penalty kick. The referee initially allowed play to continue but after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review confirmed the foul, a penalty was awarded. Captain Lee Seung-won took the penalty and accurately targeted the upper left corner of the goal to level the score. Lee Seung-won's tournament tally rose to 2 goals and 4 assists, totaling 6 attacking points, matching Lee Kang-in, who won the Golden Ball in the previous tournament.

The team failed to create significant chances afterward, and in the 38th minute of the second half, they missed a crucial opportunity. At 38 minutes, Bae Jun-ho broke through the opponent's left defense and sent a sharp low cross, which Lee Young-jun connected with a non-stop shot in front of the goal, but the ball went over the bar.

The South Korean under-20 (U-20) men's soccer team players are shown expressing regret after conceding a goal in the 41st minute of the second half during the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinal match against Italy.
Photo by Yonhap News

Three minutes later, they conceded a heartbreaking goal. A free kick was awarded after Park Hyun-bin committed a foul near the penalty box arc, and substitute Simone Pafundi scored directly from the free kick, netting the winning goal.

The South Korean team played under physically disadvantageous conditions, having rested one day less than Italy and suffering from fatigue after an extended quarterfinal match. Italy used their characteristic aggressive physical play to pressure South Korea and succeeded in reaching the final for the first time in U-20 World Cup history. Italy committed more than twice as many fouls as South Korea, with 25 fouls compared to South Korea's 11.

Although the team narrowly missed advancing to the final, having reached the semifinals for the second consecutive tournament following the 2019 Poland event, they will face Israel in the third-place playoff on the 12th at 2:30 AM.