Three wins and two draws in five matches.
The national team is the only unbeaten team among the 24 participating countries.
In particular, the three games they won 스포츠토토 were victories of thoroughly prepared tactics.
Despite being outplayed in possession every time and facing over 20 shots on goal, the team hasn’t conceded a goal except from penalties and set pieces.
Their organizational skills in maintaining a tight, cooperative defense, as well as their physical defense of throwing their bodies around without succumbing to their physical limitations, were met with dazzling saves by their goalkeepers.
[Seo Hyung-wook/MBC commentator]
“(Our national team) plays a very patient style of soccer based on defensive organization, and our players did a good job of playing their roles, and it paid off to reach the quarterfinals.”
Defense has also been key in the quarterfinals.
A place in the final will hinge on Italy’s explosiveness – they’ve scored 11 goals in five games of the tournament – and how effectively they contain Cassaday, who tops the scoring charts with six goals on his own.
[Steady Hwan/MBC commentator]
“It may not be more fun (against Italy), but I think we need to use physical soccer to endure and play a little more fast-paced counterattack.”
With each passing match, the team has fully embraced Kim Eun-joong’s “football that doesn’t lose.
[Lee Seung-won/U-20 captain].
“Even if we don’t keep the ball for a long time, when we use our strength, we use it well, and I think playing effective football is the best way to show our colors.”
Expectations are also growing that the team can go even higher than their runner-up finish four years ago.