Kolkata: South Korea made it to the quarter-finals of the U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating Argentina in the Round of 16 of the tournament. The match took place at the ArcelorMittal Park in Sosnowiec, Poland, and in the end, South Korea claimed a 1–0 victory.
The teams were evenly matched in the early stages of the game as they battled for control. Argentina had a slight edge over the opponent, maintaining higher ball possession. However, South Korea remained dangerous on the counterattack. Argentina had more shooting attempts (21) compared to South Korea (12), with 8 and 3 shots on target, respectively.
In the 34 th minute, Beom Ye-joo scored the only goal of the match, putting her team in the lead and giving South Korea a vital boost on their path to the next round. At halftime, Korea maintained the slim lead.
After the break, Argentina entered the game searching for a tie. However, the South Korean defenders were too strong and too focused to keep the lead. In the closing minutes of the game, Argentina searched for a tying strike, but Korea held on to the lead, recording a 0–1 victory against Argentina.
The win was especially sweet for South Korea, having drawn their opening game against France and following up with a 3–2 victory over Ecuador in the group stage. For Argentina, the match marked the end of their World Cup adventure. They topped their group with two wins (over Benin and Mexico) and a draw against host Poland, which ultimately was not enough for them to advance.
A goal by Beom Ye-joo in the first half of the match proved to be enough for South Korea to repel a strong Argentine attack and reach the next round of the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
South Korea will now face Italy in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Italy secured their place in the last eight after overcoming China PR on penalties following a 1–1 draw, setting up a quarter-final meeting between the two sides on 19 September.
