Bae “Ace” Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen) is back. He soared in his first game of the tournament.
The South Korea Under-20 (U-20) National Team won 3-2 against Ecuador in the round of 16 of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the Santiago del Estero Stadium in Argentina on June 2 (KST). Korea broke the ‘South American jinx’ at the U-20 level. South Korea was 5-1-1 with 10 draws against South America. South Korea will face Nigeria in the quarterfinals at 2:30 a.m. on Friday.
Bae Jun-ho has been the most anticipated player of the tournament. He was given the number 10 jersey, which symbolizes “ace. Bae has been dubbed the “next Lee Cheong-yong” for his skill and boldness beyond his years. Jürgen Klinsmann, the head coach of the A team, took notice.
The tournament began. Injury struck: He missed the first Group F match against France with a thigh adductor problem. He started the second game against Honduras, but didn’t live up to expectations. Bae showed a few flashes of brilliance, but didn’t have the kind of game he wanted. He was subbed off at the start of the second half.
Bae Jun-ho gradually improved his form. In the final group game against the Gambia, he was definitely better. After being substituted for Lee Chan-wook in the 13th minute of the second half, Bae played better than in the previous game. 메이저놀이터
He gritted his teeth. Bae showed his talent when it mattered most. Starting on the left wing, Bae exploded for a one-goal, one-assist performance to lead South Korea to the quarterfinals.
It happened in the 11th minute of the first half. South Korea took the lead on a counterattack. Bae Jun-ho was at the starting point, and he sent a crisp pass from the left side to Lee Young-joon on the opposite side. Lee broke the opponent’s line and completed the scoring.
After warming up his toes, Bae Jun-ho opened the scoring in the 19th minute. He received a pass from Park Chang-woo and deceived the opposing defense to score another goal. The Ecuadorian defense looked helpless in front of Bae’s fake move. Bae scored his first goal of the tournament. He continued to rattle Ecuador with a flurry of moves in the second half. Bae was all over the field until he was subbed off in the 36th minute, leading South Korea to the quarterfinals.