The South Korea Under-17 National Team, led by Byun Sung-hwan, lost 1-2 to Burkina Faso in their final Group E match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023 in Bandung, Indonesia, on Monday.토토사이트

South Korea fell behind early, conceding a goal to Jack Diarra in the 24th minute. They struggled with quick counter-attacks throughout the first half, with goalkeeper Hong Seong-min making some good saves to avoid conceding the first goal.

After regrouping, South Korea equalized four minutes into the second half through Kim Myung-joon. Compared to the first half, South Korea’s offense was more fluid in the second half. However, they were unable to create any decisive chances and fell behind in the 41st minute. Sulimane Alio’s penetrating pass from the midfield area was unstoppable and Aboubakar Kamara found the back of the net. The defense was completely shaken by the two strikers.

With the loss to Burkina Faso, South Korea ended the tournament with three losses and a draw. They are the only Asian nation in the tournament without a point. Underdog Indonesia also earned two points in Group A with two draws and a loss. Uzbekistan won one and drew one in Group B, while Iran in Group C and Japan in Group D both finished with two wins and one loss to advance to the round of 16. South Korea was the only team to make it out of the group stage, aside from Indonesia, who played as the host nation.

Byun Sung-hwan finished runner-up at the Asian Cup in June and July. He was praised for his individual skills and fiery attacking soccer. “No matter who we face at the World Cup, we will play our style,” Byun said before the tournament, adding, “We will challenge for more than just the best result.” No matter what team they faced, they were determined to keep their offensive colors, but they only scored two goals in their three games. The first game was a 1-3 loss to the United States, and the second was a 0-1 defeat to France. Aside from their lack of goal luck, they exposed weaknesses in several areas, including their decision-making, organization, and defensive balance. It ended up being a “reckless endeavor,” as soccer observers familiar with this age group’s national team feared.

The truth is, the performance at the U-17 World Cup doesn’t matter. These players are still teenagers, and their priority is to challenge and experience themselves as they grow.

However, the group stage exit stings because the young players haven’t had much experience at a higher level. There’s nothing like a big tournament round to help a player grow and develop. It’s a shame that the somewhat reckless ‘attacking forward’ style of soccer ended after three group games.