Good news was delivered to Kim Eun-joong, who is challenging to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

China took over Saudi Arabia. The Chinese U-20 national team won 2-0 in the second leg of the 2023 U-20 Asian Cup Group D group stage against Saudi Arabia held at the Mil Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on the 6th (hereinafter Korean time). It was a surprise. China, which was initially evaluated as a top 3 player, faced Saudi Arabia, the winner of the last tournament, and played a tight game. In the 20th minute of the second half, Mutelieb Imminkari and Xu Bin scored consecutive goals in the 27th minute to secure victory. China (goal loss +1) jumped to second place ahead of Saudi Arabia (goal loss -1, more than 3 points) with the victory that day. As China met the weakest Kyrgyzstan in the final game, it occupied an advantageous position in the quarterfinals.

This is a good news for Kim Eun-joong. The Korean U-20 national team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, will meet the Group D team in the quarterfinals. At first, Japan or Saudi Arabia was expected. The ‘eternal enemy’ Japan and the ‘defending champion’ Saudi Arabia are both tricky opponents. Coach Kim, who personally checked the match between the two teams on the spot, also evaluated it as a ‘not easy opponent’. Instead of Saudi Arabia, the possibility of China advancing to the quarterfinals has increased. Saudi Arabia will meet Japan in the final game, and Japan, which is at the top of the group with two wins, is also expected to go out with 100% of its power, as it cannot guarantee that it will advance to the quarterfinals if it loses. If Saudi Arabia does not win, there is a high probability that Japan will finish first in the group and China will finish second under the premise that China will defeat Kyrgyzstan. China, which has a psychological advantage over the tricky Middle East team, is a more comfortable opponent. 메이저놀이터

In order not to miss this opportunity, Kim Eun-joong-ho must take first place in the group. Kim Eun-joong, who defeated Oman (4-0) and Jordan (2-0), is in first place in Group C. In the final match against Tajikistan, which will be held at 9:00 pm on the 8th, even a draw can confirm first place in the group. Kim Eun-joong has an objective advantage in terms of power, and through the previous rotation against Jordan, he saved his team’s stamina and improved his overall condition a lot. Kang Seong-jin (FC Seoul), Bae Jun-ho (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Seong Jin-young (Korea University), and Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense) are evenly scoring goals. If he stays vigilant, he can win enough.

For now, the best scenario is to rise to the top of the group and face China in the quarterfinals. In this tournament, tickets to the U-20 World Cup finals, which will be held in Indonesia in May, will be given to the 4th place team. It is clear that good airflow is continuing as it is possible to advance to the finals only by passing the quarterfinals.