Kim Eun-jung’s U-20 national soccer team shared a point with Gambia in their final group game. The result keeps them in second place in Group F, and they will face Ecuador in the Round of 16.
Kim played the Gambia to a 0-0 draw in their third Group F match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the Mendoza Stadium in Argentina at 6 a.m. ET on Monday. After struggling against strong Gambian pressure in the first half, Kim Eun-Joong-ho fought back in the second half, but was unable to find the finishing touch. In defense, Moon Hyun-ho (Chungnam Asan) was the star of the show. Moon made two crucial saves to keep the Gambia offense at bay. The match ended in a scoreless 0-0 draw. South Korea remains in second place in Group F with 5 points (1 win, 2 draws). Their next opponent in the round of 16 will be Group B runner-up Ecuador.
Kim Eun-jung-ho lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Lee Ji-han (Freiburg), Lee Young-joon (Gimcheon), and Kang Sung-jin (FC Seoul) were deployed up front. Park Hyun-bin (Incheon), Lee Chan-wook (Gyeongnam), and Lee Seung-won (Gangwon) were in charge of the midfield. The back four was Choi Ye-hoon (Busan), Kim Ji-soo (Seongnam), Hwang In-taek (Seoul Eland), and Cho Young-kwang (FC Seoul). Three players changed except for Kim Ji-soo. Moon Hyun-ho was in goal.
The Gambia started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Man of the Match Amada Bojang started up front.
The first half was a long exploratory period. Neither team attempted to attack too much. The Gambia pressed hard with their trademark physicality, but South Korea were clever enough to get out of the way. In the 21st minute, Bojang had a no-mark header chance, but the ball sailed high and wide.
The Gambia continued to press, targeting the Korean flank. The defense of Kim Ji-soo and Hwang In-taek kept them at bay, but overall, they were outmatched.
In the second half, Moon Hyun-ho was called into action. In the first minute of the second half, he failed to clear a ball from the right flank, leading to a header from Bo-Jang. Bojang attempted a header right in front of the goal, but Moon made an amazing reflex save. Four minutes later, he made a punching save on a shot from inside the box.안전놀이터
In the 21st minute of the second half, there was a literal super-save. Salifu Kohli’s mid-range shot came across the face of goal, and Moon was able to get his left arm around it despite being caught in a dynamic maneuver. The ball rebounded off the post, but Moon made a focused save. The local crowd applauded the save.
Korea tried to counterattack through Kang Sung-jin and Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense), but their finishing passes were slightly off target. Both teams exchanged counterattacks, but neither could find the finishing touch.
The game went into seven minutes of extra time, but neither team could find the back of the net and the two teams shared a point. South Korea advanced to the knockout rounds after going undefeated in the group stage.