South Korea loses to Mexico at FIFA U-17 World Cup quaterfinal

South Korea fell to Mexico in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. South Korea was defeated 0-1 against Mexico in the quarterfinals at Estadio Kleber Andrade in Vitoria, Brazil on Monday. South Korea’s bid to beat its previous U-17 World Cup results and reach its first ever semifinal at U-17 World Cup has unfortunately failed.

Mexico is a strong squad, which won two U-17 World Cups in 2005 and 2011 and finished second once in 2013. But South Korea played on par with Mexico in the quarterfinals, recording a ball possession rate of 49%. Although South Korea had less number of shootings (10) than Mexico (13), it had one more effective shooting than its opponent.

It was not the best day for South Korea. Choi Min-seo received a through pass from the back and hit the crossbar in the 14th minute although Mexican defenders were not ready to prevent him. Uhm Ji-sung’s long-range shooting sailed past the net in the 17th minute. To make matters worse, centerback Hong Sung-wook, who is good in the air, was replaced in the 36th minute due to an ankle injury, putting a heavy burden on other defenders.

Mexico, meanwhile, turned one of the two effective shootings into a goal. Ali Avila, who came on as a 64th minute substitute, scored a winning goal by receiving Jose Ruiz’s cross from the right side.

“It’s a shame that we have to end our journey here when our players have improved every match,” said South Korea’s head coach Kim Jung-soo. “Please continue sending support to the players, who will improve even more based on their experience gained during the tournament.”


Won-Joo Lee takeoff@donga.com