FIFA paid attention to Kim Ji-soo and Cesare Casadei.
The Korean U-20 soccer team will play the 2023 International Football Federation (FIFA) U-20 World Cup semifinal against Italy at the Estadio Ciudad de la Plata in La Plata, Argentina on the 9th (Korean time).
Korea and Italy meet in the U-20 tournament after 42 years. In 1981, the first meeting was held in the group stage of the Australian tournament, and Korea won a 4-1 victory. Since then, in a friendly match in 2000, Chun-Soo Lee scored a goal to win 1-0 and record two wins.안전놀이터
FIFA paid attention to Kim Ji-soo and Cesare Casadei. Photo = Provided by the Korea Football Association
But the past is just the past. It’s been at least 20 years and now we’re going head to head under completely different circumstances. Korea advanced to the semifinals by defeating very difficult opponents such as France, Ecuador and Nigeria. Italy also caught Brazil in the ‘group of death’ and stood in front of Korea, defeating all the favorites such as England and Colombia.
FIFA selected Kim Ji-soo and Casaday as key players in the semifinal preview between Korea and Italy. It was believed that a head-to-head match between Korea’s key defender Kim Ji-soo and the tournament’s top scorer (6 goals) Casadei would decide the difference between victory and defeat.
In fact, Kim Ji-soo is one of the best defenders in this U-20 tournament beyond Korea. Despite his tall stature, he possesses speed, and he did not give up in the face-to-face confrontation with the opponent’s key striker, leading Korea to advance to the semifinals.
Italian goal scorer Casadei. FIFA explained that South Korea’s Kim Ji-soo should block Casadei. Photo=AFPBBNews=News1
Casadei, along with Tomaso Baldanzzi and Francesco Esposito, lead an Italian attack that throws shields and holds spears. Standing 185cm tall, he is a player who knows how to score goals using his feet, head and all his body. He scored in every match except against Nigeria in a 0–2 defeat.
It is the quarter-finals of Korea, which will face off with Italy’s offensive and counter-attack. Korea has been destroying opponents with set plays and counterattacks based on solid defense. As Italy boasts the best firepower in this tournament, stopping them is the first task for the final. And at the center is Kim Ji-soo.
Meanwhile, FIFA also paid attention to Korean ‘fantasy star’ Bae Jun-ho. They said, “Bae Jun-ho’s imaginative and unpredictable play is at the center of the challenge of ‘Taegeuk Warriors’. When he receives the ball, Korean fans cheer and the opponent panics.”