Anchor: South Korea lost to Italy 2-1 in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. After a strong showing throughout the tournament leading up to the match, the young Taegeuk Warriors fell just short of advancing to the final as they failed to replicate the success of 2019 that saw them claim second place.
Yun So-hyang has more.

Report: South Korea fell to Italy in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina on Thursday.

Team Korea, led by manager Kim Eun-jung, lost 2-1 at La Plata Stadium as they maintained the same tactical approach that took them into the last four unbeaten.

Kim’s side was content to concede most of the possession, while also settling for almost one-third the number of shots taken by Italy.

Cesare Casadei scored an opener for Italy in the 14th minute before South Korean captain Lee Seung-won equalized on a penalty nine minutes later, but Simone Pafundi netted the winner with a free kick deep into the second half.

The team will face Israel in the third-place match, also in La Plata, at 2:30 a.m. on Monday, Korea time.

The side previously finished as runners-up to Ukraine at the U-20 World Cup in 2019, the most recent edition with the cancellation in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That result was the best for any men’s team in a FIFA tournament, and an achievement for South Korean football only outdone by the women’s U-17 team, who won the 2010 edition of their World Cup.
Yun So-hyang, KBS World Radio News.