Author: Soorya G
Pre-tournament favorites Brazil were eliminated from the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in dramatic fashion by underdogs Israel, leaving the tournament wide open, with several countries now having a realistic chance of winning the prestigious title. In a game in which Brazil deservedly led twice, the defense let the team down, being caught by surprise on more than one occasion, which led to goals being conceded that could have been avoided, ultimately resulting in the U-20s being eliminated from the tournament. The Israelis posed a much greater challenge than expected for the match, attacking when they didn’t have the ball and pushing forward with creative ideas when they did, keeping the big favorites on their toes.
The Brazilians, for their part, were unable to dominate the game as they usually do and, without the services of Robert Renan and Arthur, they were forced to field two second choice players for the first time in the tournament at a crucial stage, something that ended up being their undoing. Marcos Leonardo, Brazil’s top scorer and a player who has attracted interest from clubs such as Manchester United, managed to open the scoring in the second half, finishing off a penetrating ball from the right flank with a fine left-footed shot to give Brazil the lead.
However, the Israelis refused to back down, despite being behind on the scoreboard, in fact, they opted for the aggressive route, which immediately paid off, as the Brazilian defense line was taken by surprise, resulting in a mediocre cross for Anan Khalaili, who once again scored a crucial goal for his country. Israel managed to keep the score level until the end of regulation time, when the game was forced into 30 minutes of extra time. Brazil got off to a quick start, scoring in the first minute of extra time through 19-year-old Botafogo striker Matheus Nascimento.
Israel’s response was just as swift, with Hamza Shibli scoring just a minute after Nascimento’s goal to level the scores again. However, the biggest shock came in the final moments of extra time, when Dor Turgeman tricked the Brazilian defense and put his team ahead, in a moment of euphoria for the Israeli camp. The Selecao were unable to respond to Israel’s quick strikes and ended up conceding two penalties in the second half, one of which was saved by Kaique. Ahmad Salman stepped up to take the second penalty, which went wide. Nevertheless, Israel stood firm and pulled off one of the most surprising victories of the tournament, paving the way for the rest of the competition.
Meanwhile, Italy managed to overcome a tough opponent in Colombia to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament and are now eyeing the trophy, which seemed a somewhat difficult proposition at the start of the tournament. Cesare Casadei was once again brilliant for the Italians, scoring in the first ten minutes of the game. Tommaso Baldanzi scored another for the Azzurri a few minutes before the break, and Francesco Pio Esposito tripled Italy’s lead in the second half. Colombian star Johan Torres sparked fears of a Colombian comeback with a goal in the 49th minute, but the Italians managed to hold on to their lead.
Israel will now face the winner of the quarter-final between the USA and Uruguay, while Italy will face either South Korea or Nigeria.