He missed a golden opportunity. His advance to the round of 16 is also uncertain.
The U-20 national team, led by head coach Lee Chang-won, drew 0-0 against Paraguay in the second Group B match of the 2025 U-20 World Cup at Estadio Elias Figueroa Brander in Valparaiso, Chile on the 1st (Korea time). South Korea, which lost 1-2 in the first match against Ukraine, ended up with one draw and one loss (one point) due to the draw and remained at the bottom of the group. It was the same in terms of points and goal difference with Panama (one point), which drew 1-1 with Ukraine (four points), but fell behind in multiple points. Paraguay and Ukraine tied for first place with the same points, goal difference, and multiple points.
In this tournament, 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams, and four teams with good performance among the first, second and third-place teams in each group will win the round of 16. Looking at the results of the previous tournament, one win, one draw, and one loss can occupy an advantageous position to advance to the round of 16. If Paraguay had been caught, it would have eased the burden of the final match against Panama on the 4th, but unfortunately, it only added one more point. Panama, which was initially considered the weakest, is showing off its formidable power by scoring the first goal against Paraguay and drawing with Ukraine.
South Korea, which was being dragged by its opponent in the first half, changed the flow with manager Lee Chang-won's wit. In the extra time of the first half, Paraguay's only European player and ace, Enso Gonzalez, kicked Kim Hyun-oh (Daejeon) in the leg in a competition. In a chaotic atmosphere, the referee issued a warning. I applied for a video review from the Korean bench. The competition will test-apply Football Video Support (FVS), which is called 'Video Reading Application Rights'. Unlike VAR, where the referee directly judges and determines whether the decision is error or not, it operates when the coach requests a video review as necessary. Each team can hold the right to apply twice per game, and if the error of the initial decision is recognized, the right to apply remains the same, but if the initial decision does not change, the right to apply will be extinguished.
In the match against Ukraine, coach Lee used the first FVS of the tournament, but it was not fun. This day was different. The referee, who turned the game around, took out a red card for Gonzalez. South Korea, which sent an ace and enjoyed a numerical advantage, took its first chance to win.
South Korea tapped its opponent unilaterally in the second half. However, the detail and determination were disappointing. A monotonous attack that attempted only crosses from the side did not cross Paraguay's defensive wall. Jung Ma-ho (Chungnam Asan)'s mid-range shot was blocked in the third minute of the second half, and Kim Myung-joon (Henk), who was replaced in the seventh minute of the second half, was also blocked by the goalkeeper. Kim Myung-joon, who scored a goal against Ukraine, hit the ground.
In the 25th minute of the second half, captain Kim Tae-won (Portimonense) missed his left foot turning shot, and South Korea finally failed to shake the net. On the contrary, South Korea seemed to be scrambling against the opponent's counterattack. South Korea, which did its best to the end, only gained one point against Paraguay. Having made it to the semifinals for the previous two consecutive tournaments, the tournament was also highly anticipated, but fate was in and out of the final match against Panama.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
