South Korea's U-20 football team has secured its place in the semifinals of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup after overcoming Uzbekistan 3-1 on penalties, following a dramatic match where regulation and extra time ended 3-3. This victory not only propels the South Korean squad forward but also guarantees their qualification for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup to be held in Chile this September.
The match took place on February 23, 2025, at the Youth Football Training Base Pitch in Shenzhen, China, with the head coach Lee Chang-won leading the team. Initially, the game presented challenges right from the start. Just 40 seconds post-kickoff, South Korea's goalkeeper Hong Seong-min was involved in a collision with Uzbekistan’s Abdulgafur Kaidaev, resulting in the team conceding a penalty kick. Hong, demonstrating remarkable composure, saved the shot taken by Uzbekistan’s captain Muhammadali Orynboev, thwarting what could have been an early setback for the team.
Despite Hong’s early heroics, Uzbekistan managed to strike first during the 18th minute. A corner kick resulted in Aisilbek Jumayev scoring with a header, giving the Uzbek side the lead. South Korea, determined to respond, found their equalizer just eight minutes later. During another corner, Shin Min-ha, positioned near the goal, tapped the ball in after it deflected off the Uzbek goalkeeper, equalizing the score at 1-1.
The second half saw South Korea take control. A powerful free kick by Yoon Do-young led to another header goal from Shin Min-ha, putting South Korea up 2-1. Then, Kim Tae-won, the team captain, increased the lead to 3-1 after calmly chipping the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper following some clever passing. With time ticking away, the match seemed within their grasp, but the closing moments proved to be heart-wrenching for the South Korean side.
Uzbekistan fought back resiliently, scoring twice during stoppage time. The first came from Orynboev, who netted with just seconds left to play. Then, Kaidaev scored another equalizer with only moments remaining on the clock, resulting in the match heading to extra time, bewildering supporters who thought victory was secured.
The 30 minutes of extra time were tense and uneventful, with both teams vying for opportunities yet failing to capitalize, leading to the nerve-racking penalty shootout. South Korea took the first kick, with Kim Tae-won successfully converting his shot. The pressure mounted as Uzbekistan's first penalty was saved by Hong Seong-min, who emerged as the standout player of the match. Subsequently, both teams exchanged missed opportunities, leading to Shin Min-ha’s miss for South Korea. Nevertheless, again, Hong demonstrated his incredible abilities by saving Uzbekistan's fourth penalty, keeping South Korea 2-1 up.
Eventually, Ha Jung-woo scored the decisive penalty kick for South Korea, confirming their hard-fought victory with the final score of 3-1 in penalties.
This triumph propels South Korea to the semifinals, where they will face Saudi Arabia, who earlier dispatched the host nation, China. Lee Chang-won remarked post-match, "It was a tough match, but the players did not give up and fought until the end, enabling us to win,” highlighting the resilience shown by his team.
With this win, South Korea continues its impressive history of success at the U-20 level, aiming for their first Asian Cup title since 2012 and another opportunity to showcase their talent on the world stage.
The upcoming semifinal promises to be another challenging encounter as South Korea looks to secure its spot for the final, maintaining their tradition as one of the dominant forces in Asian youth football.