Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Wild match sees South Korea into U-20 World Cup semis on penalties

Poland U20 World Cup Soccer

South Korea’s Cho Youngwook celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Group F U20 World Cup soccer match between Korea Republic and Argentina, in Tychy, Poland, Friday, May 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

AP

A absolutely wild one in Bielsko-Biala saw both Senegal and South Korea complete unlikely comebacks, and eventually South Korea secured a place in the U-20 World Cup semifinals on penalties after a 3-3 draw, marking the last side to earn a place in the final four.

South Korea trailed 2-1 at the death, but scored a 98th minute equalizer to send the game to extra time before taking the lead six minutes into the added period. Needing a lifeline, Senegal pushed and pushed the whole added period before finding the necessary moment with almost the last kick of the game as Amadou Cisse tied it up in stoppage time to send the game to penalties. The Asian nation required another comeback in the shootout, falling behind 2-0 but eventually advancing on Cavin Diagne’s miss.

Diagne roofed one in the 37th minute to put Senegal up 1-0 at the halftime break, but South Korea fought back to level it up just past the half-hour mark as VAR awarded a penalty and Kang-In Lee delivered from the spot with a powerful low drive. Korea matched Senegal’s intensity, owning 55% possession and equaling the African nation’s shot total 9-9, but the level score would not last.

In the 72nd minute, VAR was required again as a handball by Lee Jae-Ik was eventually given as a penalty for Senegal. While South Korean goalkeeper Lee Gwang-Yeon saved Ibrahima Niane’s first attempt low to his left, the referee whistled for the penalty to be retaken after VAR confirmed South Korean players entered the area early. Niane scored with his second opportunity, putting Senegal ahead.

It seemed Senegal had put the game away in the 85th minute, but Ousseynou Niang’s goal was ruled out for a handball in the box by a teammate. That kept the game in doubt, and South Korea would deliver eight minutes deep into stoppage time as Ji-Sol Lee met a corner with his head and redirected it in off the underside of the crossbar.

That brought the game to extra-time, and the Asian side would emerge victorious with a winning moment in the 96th minute from Young-Wook Cho who finished first-time on a delightful feed through the Senegal back line from Lee Kang-In. The break was vicious and left the Senegal players hanging their heads staring down their first defeat of the tournament, but they would eventually earn the equalizer on a poke by Cisse who slid to meet a cross near the top of the box, tucking his shot perfectly inside the far post.

In the ensuing shootout, South Korea fell behind off the bat as Kim Jung-Min’s effort came off the inside of the post and agonizingly bounded parallel to the goal mouth and out. The next South Korean taker Cho Young-Wook saw his effort saved, but in fitting fashion for this game, they would come back to level the shootout when Amadou Ndiaye’s weak effort was stopped by a diving Lee Gwang-Yeon. In the fifth and final round of penalties, Dialy Ndiaye saved again, but was yellow-carded for coming off his line and the re-take was buried by Oh Se-Hun. That left Diagne with a do-or-die effort and he missed wide, giving South Korea the victory.

Follow @the_bonnfire