South Korea have advanced to the final of the U20 World Cup in Poland this summer for the first time in their history after beating Ecuador 1-0 in last night’s semi-final.
The game’s only goal was scored by defender Choi Jun, as a well-worked set-piece routine allowed the goalscorer to slip in behind the defense and latch on to the end of a through pass delivered between the lines, before placing the ball in the far corner of the net.
Korea were forced to weather the storm for much of the match, ending the 90 minutes with just 38% of the possession and with two shots on target compared to Ecuador’s six.
This inspiring run has generated a lot of hype around the new generation of Taeguk Warriors stars, including Valencia teenager Lee Kang-in. The attacking midfielder has arguably been the standout player of the tournament for the East Asian giants.
South Korea are the first Asian team to make it to the final of the U20 World Cup since Japan in 1999, and would be the first ever side from the continent to win the trophy.