Kim Eun-joong, who did not receive much attention as the so-called ‘Valley Generation’, shook off his indifference and finished the 2023 U20 World Cup with a great finish of 4th place.먹튀검증
The Korean U20 soccer team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, defeated Israel 1-3 in the 3rd and 4th place match held at La Plata Stadium in Argentina on the 12th (Korean time). In the 19th minute of the first half, Ran Binyamin scored the opening goal, and captain Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC) equalized with a penalty kick in the 5th minute. perched above
Although they lost unfortunately, it is of great significance that they reached the semifinals for the second consecutive time following the runner-up in the 2019 Polish tournament, the previous tournament. The 1983 U20 World Cup and the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup were the only places where Korean men’s soccer ranked 4th in FIFA-sponsored competitions.
The reason why this achievement stands out more than ever is because they have been evaluated as the valley generation. The generation of players with exceptional achievements is called the ‘golden generation’ in the sports world, and the valley generation in the opposite case.
Kim Eun-joong was first convened in January 2022, after the wave of Corona 19 to some extent, and was officially launched. The preparation period was somewhat shorter than before. Compared to the 2017 Korean tournament, where Lee Seung-woo (Suwon FC) and Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) were active, and the 2019 Polish tournament, where Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) received the Golden Ball (MVP), there were no players who were clearly known to soccer fans. There were Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen), who played regularly in the K-League, Kang Seong-jin (FC Seoul), who scored his debut goal in an A match, and Kim Ji-soo (Seongnam FC), who received a love call from Europe, but interest in them declined.
However, Kim Eun-joong-ho quietly prepared for a reversal. Since 2017, as a coach for the U23 national team, they have been united around the cool and delicate leadership of coach Kim, who has been constantly communicating with young players. Coach Kim, who said, “I want to create a competitive team that can succeed on the world stage,” achieved both the good results and the growth of the players that he promised at the time of launch.
Ahead of the tournament, Lee Hyun-joo (Bayern Munich) and Seong Jin-yeong (Korea University) left the line due to injuries, followed by Park Seung-ho (Incheon United), who was injured in the middle of the tournament. I made it a useless worry and went on a winning streak.
Thoroughly polished and polished counter-attack-oriented practical soccer shone. In particular, the completeness of the set piece, which is the main scoring path, was high. Kim Eun-joong scored 6 out of 10 goals in this tournament from set pieces. Lee Seung-won (3 goals, 4 assists), who was at the center of it, received the Bronze Ball, which is equivalent to the 3rd place MVP of the tournament.
Grades are also grades, but Kim Eun-joong’s greatest achievement lies in discovering and growing new resources for the future of Korean football, including Lee Seung-won, Lee Yeong-joon (Kim Cheon Sangmu), and Choi Seok-hyun (Dankook University). However, the fact that he was somewhat lacking in skill because he could not play regularly in his team, and from the semifinals onward, he showed a lack of strength and showed physical problems exposed.
Coach Kim revealed that he was proud of seeing his first disciples grow over the course of a year and a half. He said, “In the process of challenging and preparing for the big stage of the World Cup, it could not be a topic of discussion, so it could be lacking in motivation.”
Meanwhile, in the final match, Uruguay defeated Italy 1-0 and won their first title after ‘2 out of 3’. Italy had to be content with reaching the final for the first time ever.