South Korea U-20 captain Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC) recalls his most memorable moment.

The Korean U-20 team, led by head coach Kim Eun-joong, arrived at Incheon International Airport at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday. The team moved to the first floor of the transportation center and participated in the welcome ceremony. They were joined by Park Seung-ho (Incheon United), who returned home early due to an injury sustained during the tournament.

This year’s U-20 team was not expected to have much of a star power, with no standout players. Add to that the change of venue from Indonesia to Argentina before the start of the World Cup. The team rallied around Kim and moved forward as a unit.

They beat powerhouse France in the group stage, then drew with Honduras and Gambia to reach the round of 16 undefeated. In the tournament, they swept Ecuador and Nigeria to reach the quarterfinals. They lost to Italy and Israel to finish in fourth place, but it was a tremendous achievement. It was the second consecutive quarterfinal appearance for the team, following their runner-up finish at the 2019 U-20 World Cup in Poland.

“It’s true that the players didn’t get a lot of attention before the tournament,” said Kim Eun-joong, head coach of the national team, “but they proved it through this tournament.” “We saw that they have a lot of potential,” he said.

“This is not the end,” said Kim, who urged the players to return to their clubs, win competitions, and play a lot on the field. “I hope these players will grow into the future of Korean soccer,” he said, “There are many things I want to say, but I don’t think there is anything better than saying thank you.”

“We had a lot of worries and concerns while preparing for the World Cup,” said Lee Seung-won, “but thanks to the fans’ enthusiastic support, we were able to achieve a fourth-place finish.” “We gained a lot more than just the result,” he said, vowing to do his best to do well for the team and improve.

In the tournament, Lee finished with three goals and four assists for seven offensive points. That’s more than Lee Kang-in (Mallorca), who won the Golden Ball in 2019 with two goals and four assists to lead South Korea to a runner-up finish. Lee was also awarded the Bronze Ball for his performance.

“I don’t dare talk about him, but he’s a player I’m watching and learning a lot from,” Lee said of Lee Kang-in, adding, “I think he’s got good energy and I’ll follow him.” Of his seven offensive highlights, Lee prioritized the goal against France. “The goal against France is the most memorable,” he said, explaining, “What I prepared for came out on the field and brought the result.”

Finally, Lee recalled the moment after the quarterfinal against Nigeria, which went into overtime. “After the game, the players and coaches ran onto the field, and it was emotional,” he said. “We could see that what we had prepared was coming true, and it was meaningful to see our hard work pay off.” 메이저사이트