We didn’t even make it to the round of 16 in a 24-team tournament. We lost three games, scored two goals and conceded six. A team that played attacking soccer and hoped to make at least the quarterfinals was disappointed with the results.
The South Korea U-17 men’s national soccer team suffered an early exit from the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023 after losing all three of its group matches.토토사이트
South Korea, led by Byun Sung-hwan, fell 1-2 to Burkina Faso in their final Group E match on Aug. 18 in Bandung, Indonesia. South Korea, which also lost to the United States (1-3) and France (0-1), finished last in the group. This is the first time in 16 years that South Korea has been eliminated in the group stage of a tournament since the 2007 edition. It’s the first time in seven appearances since 1987 that they’ve been swept out of the tournament.
South Korea’s performance deteriorated as the tournament progressed. Only in the first game against the United States did they outshoot their opponents, but their play became increasingly sluggish and dull. They had 22 shots on goal (USA 8). Against France, that number plummeted to 6 (France 12). Against Burkina Faso, they only managed 6 shots (Burkina Faso 16). The Korea-Burkina Faso match came after both teams failed to advance to the round of 16. While both sides struggled to find motivation, it was South Korea that was more lethargic.
After finishing second at the Asian Youth Championship in July with an attacking style of play, Byun Sung-hwan’s team was determined to play attacking football at the World Cup, but with a less defined concept of defense, it was reckless. Defensive organization was loose and there was no division of roles between defenders. In general, almost all players’ pressing was weak, and there were frequent passes and complacent ball handling. Korea made almost three times as many passes as Burkina Faso (728-229), but there were too many scared backpasses and pointless sideways passes. That’s why they were out-shot, let alone out-goaled, despite having a 65%-24% advantage in ball possession.
We were weak, unmotivated, and generally sluggish, with players who had the ball often isolated and struggling to find a forward pass. There was also a lot of individual play that seemed to be an eyesore throughout the tournament. With rumors circulating before the tournament that European scouts were eyeing several Korean players, it felt like some of the attackers were focused on showcasing themselves instead of helping their team win.
Japan advanced to the round of 16 with two wins and a loss (4 points), Iran with two wins and a loss (9 points), and Uzbekistan with one win, one draw, and one loss (5 points). All three teams made it through the group stage as wildcards out of the top three rather than first or second in their groups, but they were better than South Korea in every way. Even Iran and Uzbekistan, who were ranked lower than South Korea at the recent Asian Championship, made it to the round of 16. “Attacking football with a shaky defense may work in Asia, but it will never work on the world stage,” said Han, adding, “I hope the leaders and young players feel a lot and reflect on it.”