From 0-2 to 2-2, the Baby Taegeuk Warriors were playing well. But there was no come-from-behind victory.
The South Korea U-20 football team played to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Honduras in their second Group F match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina, on Saturday (June 26). It was enough to earn a point.
South Korea conceded back-to-back goals in the first and second half, but back-to-back goals from Kim Yong-hak and Park Seung-ho held on for a narrow draw. It was disappointing not to get the win against the underdog Honduras, and it was even more disappointing that they played with 10 men after losing a player to a red card.
South Korea started with Kim Jun-hong in goal, followed by Bae Seo-joon, Kim Ji-soo, Choi Seok-hyun, and Park Chang-woo in defense. The center backs were Bae Jun-ho and Lee Seung-won, and the left and right wings were Kang Sung-jin and Kim Yong-hak. Lee Young-joon and Kang Sang-yoon were the attackers.
South Korea battled with Honduras in the center of the field throughout the first half. Honduras was also desperate for a win and put a lot of pressure on Korea. Eventually, Korea conceded a penalty corner in the 22nd minute. Kim Jun-hong reached out to save it, but the goal was open.
In the 28th minute, Ochoa, who scored the goal, was booked for a challenge with Bae Seo-Joon. With the numerical advantage, Korea was able to press Honduras hard again, but the goal was not to be. Kim Yong-hak and Lee Seung-won threatened on three occasions but were denied by Jurgen Garcia.
South Korea failed to capitalize on their chances at the end of the first half. They conceded another goal at the start of the second half. Five minutes into the second half, Isaac Castillo’s shot deflected and beat Kim Jun-hong. The score remained 0-2. South Korea made two substitutions, replacing Park Chang-woo, Bae Seo-joon, and Bae Jun-ho with Choi Ye-hoon, Park Seung-ho, and Cho Young-kwang.
Korea scored a goal in the 13th minute of the second half when Kim Yong-hak converted a ball saved by Lee Young-joon to make it 1-2. After regaining the momentum, Korea tied the game at 2-2 in the 17th minute when Park Seung-ho headed in a corner kick from Lee Seung-won.
Park Seung-ho suffered a right foot injury and was immediately replaced by Lee Seung-jun. A Honduran counterattack threatened again, but the defense narrowly avoided a goal. On offense, Korea attacked the left flank relentlessly, but it didn’t lead to a goal.
Korea pounded the Honduran goal with shots from Kim Yong-hak and Lee Young-joon. In the 41st minute, Cho Young-kwang’s cross hit the post. In stoppage time, Kang Sung-jin had a shot on goal after a pass from Kim Yong-hak, but Garcia made the save. At the other end, Tomas Soto’s mid-range shot was saved by Kim Jun-hong. 메이저사이트 In the final minute, Choi Seok-hyun was sent off for accumulating cautions. In the ensuing crisis, South Korea narrowly avoided conceding a goal thanks to a Honduran mistake. In the end, the game remained scoreless after eight minutes of extra time.
Meanwhile, South Korea is now in second place behind Gambia, who also have two points. The outcome of their final match against the Gambia will determine whether they advance to the round of 16.