Byeonsung Hwanho falls to ‘powerhouse’ France. The red light is on for the round of 16.
Byun Sung-hwan’s U-17 national team lost 0-1 to France in their second Group E match at the U-17 World Cup 2023 at the International Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday at 9 p.m. KST. Byun Sung-hwan suffered his second defeat of the tournament with the loss. South Korea sits in third place behind France and the United States, who both have two wins. The United States beat Burkina Faso 2-1.
It was a must-win game. South Korea lost its first game against the U.S., 1-3, on Dec. 12.With quarterfinal finishes in 1987, 2009 and 2019 as its best results in the tournament, South Korea set its sights on a fourth-place finish or better. The first task was to reach the round of 16. In a tough group, it was important for South Korea to win their first game against the United States. The tournament allows the four best-placed teams to qualify for the round of 16, so winning their first game would give them a huge advantage going into the round of 16. With two games against France in Group E, the plan was to take the first game to ease the pressure. 아톰카지노
However, the plan went awry. Byun Sung-hwan played well but couldn’t get a result. At the last Asian Cup, which was a qualifier, the team was praised for its beautiful attacking soccer, and this time around, the team brought bold attacking soccer to the forefront. “We are going to play an aggressive game according to the concept we have,” Byun said. South Korea pushed the Americans early on. However, they were not so lucky. In the fifth minute, following a nice play, Yoon Do-young (Daejeon) attempted an exquisite overhead kick that unfortunately hit the left post. This missed opportunity gave the U.S. the lead two minutes later. Korea then went on the offensive. After Yang Min-hyuk’s (Gangwon) mid-range shot hit the post again, Korea equalized in the 35th minute through Kim Myung-joon (Pohang). However, the defense collapsed in the second half. They conceded back-to-back goals to Cruz Medina in the fourth minute of the second half and Nymphasya Berkimas in the 28th minute of the second half to lose 1-3.
The performance wasn’t bad. Their quick passing was sharp. We played like a South American team, and we were attractive. They dominated possession, but South Korea had far more threats. South Korea created a whopping 22 shots on goal on the day, to the US’s eight. However, their finishing was lacking. The 8-7 advantage in shots on goal wasn’t enough. Of course, luck was not on their side. The team’s stamina dropped in the second half and they were not able to play the same way as in the first half, and their defense collapsed after every offensive flow.
Korea now had to fight for their lives in the remaining two or three matches against France and Burkina Faso. They needed at least one win and one draw. The best case scenario was a draw against France and a win over Burkina Faso. But as we saw in the first game, France had a huge advantage. If they concede an early goal, it could put even more pressure on their young players. The head-to-head record between Korea and France’s U-17 teams is three games to none in favor of Korea. South Korea lost 0-3 in their first meeting in 2005 at the Mondial Futbol Montégueux and then 0-1 at the 2009 Sendai Cup in Japan. In their most recent encounter, at the 2019 U-17 World Cup, South Korea went to their knees after conceding three goals in a 1-0 defeat, despite a goal from Jung Sang-bin.
Byun said, “It’s disappointing. We created a lot of scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize on them, and we conceded too easily. “I don’t think our game plan was wrong. We wanted to play aggressive soccer, which is different from Korean soccer, and I don’t regret it. I don’t think it’s a failure if we don’t get a result at this age group,” he said, reviewing the first leg.
Byun continued, “We didn’t get the result we wanted in the first game, so it was a difficult start. We still have a chance to advance to the Round of 16 depending on the outcome of the match, so we are focusing on preparing for the match.” “I am satisfied with the team’s offense. Against the USA, we didn’t stick to our defensive principles and lost our balance. Against France, it’s important to stick to our principles and maintain our balance.” He added: “All of our players are a threat. There are no weaknesses in individual skills. We have great players like attacking midfielder Simon Bouabre and striker Mathis Lambard. The same goes for the defense,” he said, adding, “I think we have areas to work on in terms of organization and fitness, and we’ll try to make a difference there.”
South Korea replaced Cha Je-hoon (Junggyeonggo) in defensive midfield with Lim Hyun-seop (Suwon U-18) from the first game. The front line remained unchanged with Kim Myung-joon, Yang Min-hyuk, and Yoon Do-hyung forming the back three. Jin Tae-ho (Jeonbuk), Baek In-woo (Yongin Football Center), and Lim Hyun-seop were in the middle. Seo Jeong-hyuk (Jeonbuk), Yoo Min-joon (Seongnam), Kang Min-woo (Ulsan), and Bae Sung-ho (Daejeon) formed the back line, with Hong Sung-min (Pohang) in goal.
France conceded an early goal. In the second minute, France sent in a low cross from a corner kick. Mathieu Amagu gave France the lead with a powerful shot. Despite conceding the first goal, South Korea did not falter. They fought back with quick counterattacks. In the 14th and 21st minutes of the first half, they created chances with sharp counterattacks. In the 40th minute, forward Kim Myung-joon had a golden opportunity to take on the opposing goalkeeper. However, his shot went straight at the keeper.
In the second half, the South Korean attack intensified. They weren’t as lucky. In the 13th minute, Baek In-woo made a great run down the right flank. He sent in a cross. Jin Tae-ho was on the run and attempted a powerful left-footed volley. It hit the post. It was the third time he had missed the target since the last match against the United States. South Korea introduced Lee Chang-hoon and Cha Je-hoon to heat up the game. Cha hit a powerful shot, but it went straight at the keeper. In the 29th minute, Kang Min-woo got a header on a free kick from Sang-hong, but it went over the bar.
South Korea showed great determination to the end and pushed France hard. However, they were unable to find the equalizer. The game ended in a 0-1 Korean defeat. Korea will have their hands full in the third match on the 18th. Their opponent is Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is the weakest team in the group. Korea needs to get a big win against Burkina Faso and then look at the results of the other three teams in the group.
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