Korean soccer once again embarks on a great journey.
The under-20 (U-20) soccer team led by coach Kim Eun-joong (44) will participate in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup to be held in Uzbekistan in March. Only those who finish in the top 4 of this tournament can participate in the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals to be held in Indonesia in May.

Korea, which will play the group stage against Oman (March 2, Korean time) – Jordan (5th) – Tajikistan (8th), can meet Japan or Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. It is the de facto final with the U-20 World Cup finals.

The preparations are complete. From the end of January to the beginning of this month, we conducted field training focused on actual combat in Murcia, Spain, and trained for a week in Ulsan after returning home. The 23 finalists who passed the test left for Uzbekistan.

Coach Kim expressed satisfaction with the training results. Before his departure, he said, “While increasing my stamina in Spain, I also found weaknesses to make up for,” and said, “Even if the quarterfinals may be a hurdle, I have to overcome it. Believe in our preparation, and we will explode our potential.”

In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, there were no absolute strong and no absolute weak. The same goes for competition in the U-20 stage. Growth in Asia stands out. Uzbekistan has been working hard to attract various competitions, and Southeast Asia has been steadily preparing for more than 10 years. Needless to say, the Middle East, which puts ‘oil money’ at the forefront.

Fortunately, the power analysis went well. We secured various data, including the expected opponents in the quarterfinals, and shared them with the players. Coach Kim’s goal is to go beyond the semifinals. Korea is the most successful U-20 Asian Cup winner (12 times) every two years, but has not been on top since 2012.

Coach Kim, who experienced winning the AFC U-19 Championship, the predecessor of the tournament, said, “We have to endure the pressure of international competitions. 80% is filled, 20% is each person’s share. After the launch of the U-20 national team, assignments were steadily assigned, and all were checked. We have a unique grit and DNA,” he emphasized.
‘U-20 Kim Eun-joong’ pursues dynamic soccer. It is a play that is alive and breathing and full of energy. Coach Kim thinks that “in any situation, if the team atmosphere goes down, soccer is dead”. Teams that produce good results are always laughing and full of lively atmosphere. 토토사이트

However, he knows better than anyone that grades are not everything in the national team by age group. Coach Kim said, “It’s a place that not only utilizes excellent players, but also develops them into good people.” Joining a professional team and being selected for the national team, their skills are similar. In the end, those who are recognized are the players who sacrifice and devote themselves.

Coach Kim said, “In the national team by age, the leader and player grow together. He felt that he was growing little by little as time went by. i am helper It is a role that brings out the potential that young players have not found. I hope that the players will reap the fruits of their hard work.”