Down two goals to none, early substitutions and positional adjustments paid off for Korea Under-20 National Team coach Kim Eun-jung as his team battled back to earn a draw.
Kim Eun-Joong-ho led South Korea to a 2-2 draw against Honduras in their FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 Group F match at the Mendoza Stadium in Argentina on Saturday (June 26). South Korea conceded an early penalty corner goal and a late goal when they were outnumbered. However, a series of positional adjustments and quick substitutions proved to be the difference in the end, as South Korea held on for a draw.
South Korea started the game in a 4-4-2 formation. They were successful in closing down the midfield with a thick defensive block, but were shaken when Honduras opened up the flanks. The Honduran flankers tried to dribble aggressively against the Korean defense.
After conceding the lead, South Korea adjusted their players’ positions slightly. Bae Jun-ho and Kang Sung-jin were deployed on the flanks, while Kim Yong-hak and Kang Sang-yoon supported the midfield. Despite this, Korea conceded an early goal. In the 16th minute, substitute Daniel Carter was fouled in the box, earning a penalty kick (PK) opportunity. Kicker David Lewis converted the PK to give South Korea the lead.
After going into halftime down 0-1, South Korea was dealt a blow in the fifth minute of the second half on a counterattack. On the counterattack, Isaac Castillo attempted a mid-range shot that deflected off the defense and rattled the Korean goal. Coach Kim Eun-joong pulled out his substitution card. In the ninth minute of the second half, he took off Bae Jun-ho and Park Chang-woo and introduced Park Seung-ho and Cho Young-kwang. The players’ positions were also adjusted slightly. Kang Sung-jin and Kim Yong-hak actively switched positions to threaten their opponents.
It worked. Kim Yong-hak, who moved to the center at the end of the first half, scored the game-winning goal in the 13th minute of the second half after cutting into the box from the right side. Four minutes later, substitute Park Seung-ho tied the game with a neat header from a corner kick.메이저놀이터
Although they were unable to complete the comeback, they were able to secure a point in a game that was in jeopardy due to back-to-back concessions. The draw leaves South Korea with four points (one win and one draw) and second place in Group F. Although they didn’t qualify for the round of 16, they have a relatively favorable position. The tournament features 24 nations in six groups, with the first and second place finishers in each group and the four best third place finishers advancing to the round of 16. Meanwhile, their final group opponents, the Gambia, had already qualified for the round of 16 after beating France on the same day. They will likely rotate their squad for the final match in order to manage their fitness. The third Group F match between South Korea and the Gambia will be played at the same venue on June 29.