Ecuador’s coach applauded the performance of the Korean national team despite losing to Korea in the round of 16.메이저놀이터
The Ecuador under-20 (U-20) national team participated in the ‘2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup’ held at Estadio Udico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Argentina on the 2nd (Korean time) 16 We lost 2-3 to Korea in the quarterfinals.
Ecuador focused on defense in the beginning and used a counter attack that utilized individual player abilities. Korea broke Ecuador’s build-up with forward pressure and quickly penetrated. While taking the ball possession high, he took the initiative throughout the first half and ran the game.
Ecuador’s goal came in the 11th minute of the first half. In Korea, Bae Joon-ho’s chair-like pass was caught by Lee Yeong-jun with chest trapping inside the box and finished calmly. It was a fierce combination play between Lee Yeong-joon, who showed sharp senses during the match against France, and Bae Jun-ho, who is the key midfielder of the national team and number 10.
After allowing the first goal, he allowed an additional goal in the eighth minute. This time, he was defeated by Bae Jun-ho. Bae Joon-ho caught the ball near the penalty box, folded one lap and shook the Ecuadorian defense, and when the goalkeeper jumped out, he calmly looked at the goal and finished it.
Ecuador allowed two runs, but saved the pursuit with a penalty kick. After a counterattack in the 31st minute of the first half, he induced a foul in the box and got a penalty kick. The kicker was Quero and he scored the comeback goal. Ecuador gradually increased the tempo after the consolation goal and regained possession of the ball.
In the second half, Choi Seok-Hyun conceded a goal in 3 minutes, but when Korea changed to a defensive tactic, they put all their energy into the pursuit goal. In the middle of the second half, he took the lead in attack and aimed at the Korean net. Zambrano scored in the 38th minute of the second half, but the goddess of victory did not smile at Ecuador.
After the game, according to ‘EFE’ news agency, Ecuador’s coach Miguel Bravo said after the round of 16 with Korea, “I poured everything in. The last pass of the players was restless.” He continued, “(Korea) made good use of what they had. It was a very good team. We couldn’t stop Korea’s counterattack properly.”
Coach Bravo put a lot of thought into his first World Cup. “I’m very proud to lead Ecuador. It’s a continuous learning experience. Being able to coach these players is full of pride. We missed out on the U-20 World Cup, but we’ll keep calm and prepare for the next one. We fought really well for 96 minutes.” he explained.
Local commentators commented, “Ecuador fought until the end, but it was not enough to overcome Korea’s practical management.”