Author: Soorya G
South Korea will now face Italy in the semi-finals, having beaten Brazil, England and Colombia along the way
In a World Cup tournament full of unexpected results, the FIFA U-20 World Cup presented yet another surprising result in the quarter-finals of the competition. African giant Nigeria, who some considered favorites in the final phase of the tournament, were taken by surprise by South Korea, who came away with a victory thanks to an extra-time goal that secured their place in the semi-finals of the U-20 World Cup.
The match between Nigeria and South Korea was uneventful, with both teams opting to play it safe in defense while looking for chances on the counter-attack. Both teams were equipped with fast-paced attacking lines, but rarely had the chance to put them into action. And when they were called upon, neither team’s attack worked and the two sides remained level after the end of regulation time. However, four minutes into extra time, South Korea scored the decisive goal through Seok Hyeon Choi, which sent them through to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, South American giants Uruguay won another clear victory over the USA in the quarter-finals and progressed. Uruguay opened the scoring early on, with Anderson Duarte netting in the 20th minute, before Joshua Wynder’s own goal eliminated his own country from the tournament. The Uruguayans will now face Israel in the semi-finals, a team that eliminated favorites Brazil from the tournament just a few days ago.
In the semi-finals, South Korea will face Italy, who have been in brilliant form in the competition, having already beaten the likes of Brazil, England and Colombia in their campaign. Italy defeated Brazil in their first match of the tournament and then beat England in the Round of 16, before beating South American powerhouse Colombia en route to the semi-finals. Cesare Casadei has stood out for his country, having already scored five goals.