South Korea’s U20 national soccer team head coach Kim Eun-jung was moved to tears as he praised his players for reaching the quarterfinals of the U20 World Cup.
South Korea’s Kim Eun-jung led his team to a 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U20 World Cup Argentina 2023 at the Santiago del Estero Stadium in Argentina on Friday (June 5).
It was the second consecutive semifinal (quarterfinal) appearance for South Korea, following the 2019 tournament in Poland. South Korea reached the final and finished as runners-up.
Head coach Kim Eun-jung gave credit to his junior players. “It was a physically demanding and difficult game, but all 21 players did their best,” he said in a post-match interview, according to News1. I want to say thank you,” he cried.
“I emphasized concentration to the players before the game,” Kim said. “I thought we could win if we didn’t give up until the end and showed the strength of Korean soccer,” he said. “The players did a good job in a difficult situation and it led to a good result.”
South Korea had one less day of rest than Nigeria and ran a total of 147 kilometers, more than the Nigerians who ran 139 kilometers.
Kim choked back tears as he said this, but quickly returned to a smile when the athletes were sprayed with water during the interview.
“The coaching staff was heartbroken that the athletes weren’t recognized,” Kim said. “I know there were a lot of concerns before this event because they didn’t know much about our athletes (in Korea). “We treated them sincerely to bring out their abilities, and they responded well,” he said.토토사이트
He added that he was proud of the players, saying, “They are the future of Korean soccer and I am very grateful to them.”
South Korea’s quarterfinal opponent is Italy, who will play for a spot in the final at 6 a.m. on Sept. 9 at La Plata Stadium in La Plata, Argentina.