Lee Chang-won-ho, who achieved his desired goal of "going to the World Cup," is going to win the Silk Road for the first time in 13 years over Saudi Arabia!
Lee Chang-won-ho, who achieved his desired goal of "going to the World Cup," is going to win the Silk Road for the first time in 13 years over Saudi Arabia!
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The U-20 national team has achieved its desired goal, but it is running toward a bigger goal of reclaiming the top spot in Asia for the first time in 13 years.
The national team, led by head coach Lee Chang-won, will face Saudi Arabia in the semifinals of the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup at 5:15 p.m. (Korea Standard Time) on the 26th.
Lee Chang-won has achieved his top priority. After a 3-3 draw with Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals on Sunday, he advanced to the semifinals by winning 3-1 in penalty shootouts and qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be held in Chile in September.
However, the championship is not over yet. The Korean team is aiming higher. Korea boasts the largest number of wins (12 titles) in the history of the U-20 Asian Cup, but the last time it won the title was at the 2012 United Arab Emirates (UAE). As such, the team was not satisfied with its recent performance. It was eliminated in the group league at the 2014 Myanmar and 2016 Bahrain competitions, and failed to conquer the top four teams at the 2023 Uzbekistan Games after finishing second at the 2018 Indonesian Games.
Of course, Saudi Arabia is not an easy team to compete in the finals. It passed Group B with Jordan (1-0 win), Iraq (0-1 loss) and North Korea (2-1 win), and beat host China 1-0 in the quarterfinal match. Its strength is solid defense organization, allowing only two goals in four matches.
Fast counterattacks are also sharp in attack. Winger Saad Hakawi, who has scored two goals and one assist, will play the role of spearhead in this year's event. He is recognized for his potential as he plays for Al-Nasr in the Saudi Arabian League, where Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is playing. He allowed six goals in four matches in the tournament, which requires attention from our defense team, which desperately needs to crack down on the backdoor policy.
However, the team's strides are rather upbeat. Players who have given up their minds by advancing to the World Cup can maximize their performance in the match against Saudi Arabia. "I had a lot of worries that I would not be able to play in the U-20 World Cup, which is a good opportunity for young players to grow," Lee said after the match against Uzbekistan. "However, I have relieved the burden (by advancing to the quarterfinals). I will make sure that the players show their best plays in the remaining matches."
Team Korea has high expectations once again on the sharp spearhead. Kim Tae-won (Portimonensee, Portugal) is tying for the top scorer with four goals at this year's event along with Uzbekistan's Mukhamadali Uriboyev. We wonder if he will continue his momentum in the match against Saudi Arabia. 메이저사이트
Meanwhile, if South Korea crosses Saudi Arabia, it will clash with the winner of another semi-final Australia-Japan match on the same day in the final on the 1st of next month.