Before the semi-finals, U20 Korea was the only team with an unbeaten record, having defeated strong opponents such as U20 France or U20 Nigeria. However, the Asian representative encountered many difficulties in the encounter with U20 Italy. In the 14th minute, player Cesare Casadei scored the opening goal for U20 Italy.

Playing with determination, U20 Korea only needed 9 minutes to equalize 1-1. Player Lee Seung Won was the one who successfully executed the valuable penalty, thereby bringing the match back to the starting line. In the remaining minutes of the first half, U20 Italy tried to press the field but could not score more goals.

The joy of the Italian U20 players after scoring the winning goal 2-1 against the Korean U20. Photo: Getty

In the second half, U20 Italy still completely controlled the game. However, the European representative had many difficulties in approaching the opponent's goal. Meanwhile, U20 Korea persistently defended and waited for the opportunity to counterattack.

It was thought that the match would go into extra time, but the situation was decided in the 86th minute. Newly substituted player Simone Pafundi scored a beautiful goal from a free kick, sealing a 2-1 victory for U20 Italy.

With the above result, U20 Italy has won a ticket to the final of the U20 World Cup 2023 and will face U20 Uruguay - the team that beat U20 Israel 1-0 in the semi-final match that took place earlier. The final match will take place at 4:00 a.m. on June 12 (Vietnam time). This is the first time in history that U20 Italy has reached the final of the U20 World Cup, after finishing in third place in 2017. Meanwhile, this is the third time that U20 Uruguay has reached the final after finishing second twice in 1997 and 2013.

The third-place match between U20 Korea and U20 Israel will take place at 0:30 a.m. on June 12 (Vietnam time).

HOAI PHUONG