Best AFC U20 Performers: South Korea
A Semi-final defeat but acheiving the qualification for the U20 World Cup this Septmeber softens the blow.
Via a penalty shootout against defending AFC U20 Asian Cup champions Uzbekistan, South Korea squeezed into the semi-finals despite surrendering a comfortable 3-1 lead in injury time. It was a dramatic and almost scarring experience for Korea’s youngsters, who now have six months to prepare for the U20 World Cup in Chile. Recent performances by the young Taeguk Warriors at this level have raised expectations, but improving on their fourth- and second-place finishes in the last two editions will be a tough challenge.
The experience of the AFC U20 Asian Cup will undoubtedly help the team and management address weaknesses, such as an overreliance on wing play, a lack of goals from the No. 9 position, and issues with game management. The squad for the upcoming World Cup is likely to remain largely the same, but there is room for additions, with a goalkeeper, No. 9, and No. 8 perhaps the most pressing needs. In this article, we will look at who performed well for South Korea in the most recent tournament.
Goals
Finishing as joint top scorer of the tournament, No. 10 and captain Kim Tae-won truly led by example, showcasing the benefits of his European experience at Portimonense. The Yeongdeungpo Technical High School graduate displayed a full range of excellent forward play with his four goals in the tournament. From his breakaway goal against Uzbekistan and his fortunate finish, to his cut inside and low strike against Japan, and his headed goal against Thailand to complete the turnaround in that game, Kim demonstrated his versatility and composure in front of goal.
Centre defender Shin Min-ha finished second with two goals in the tournament and could have had more, highlighting Korea’s strong threat from set pieces, thanks to excellent corner deliveries from Yun Do-young and Lee Chang-wook. However, it also underscored the lack of goal contributions from the midfield, wingers and other attackers. No. 9’s Kim Gyeol and Ha Jeong-woo, failed to get on the scoresheet despite expected goals (xG) of 0.48 and 0.99, respectively.
Construction
South Korea’s heavy reliance on wingers is evident in their dribbling statistics, as the East Asian side recorded the highest total dribbles in the tournament (142) and the most per 90 minutes among the semi-finalists (23.41). This was, on average, five more than eventual winners Australia and seven more than fellow semi-finalists Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Individually, Suwon Bluewings starlet Park Seung-soo led both his country and the tournament in dribbling, boasting an impressive success rate to complement his high per-90 numbers—most of which came from substitute appearances. Given his performances, it’s little surprise that the 17-year-old has already attracted interest from Europe. In clips 1 and 2 below, you can see his comfort going both ways and using his weaker left foot. Meanwhile, clip 3 highlights how opposing teams frequently double-teamed him, posing a challenge for both Park and South Korea in finding solutions to bypass that coverage.
One player already heading to Europe—and one of Korea’s standout performers at the tournament—is Yun Do-young, with his move to Brighton pending. Given his high number of dribbles and extensive minutes on the pitch, a lower success rate was expected, especially as he often faced double-teaming. However, Yun can sometimes be slow in releasing the ball in the final third, an area for potential improvement.
On the left side, Kim Seo-jin played the most minutes of any Korean fullback and earned praise for his consistent performances. He formed a strong partnership with Incheon United’s Baek Min-gyu down that flank. Meanwhile, Gimpo FC’s Kim Gyeol, in his three tournament starts, showcased his mobility as a No. 9 option, as reflected in his heat map. However, his lack of goals remains a concern.
Goalkeeping
Regular starter Park Sang-young of Daegu FC/Daegu FC B lost his place after a poor showing against Thailand (see his prevented goals stat of -0.8, indicating he should have saved that goal). Next up was fellow K4 player Kim Min-soo, but despite being the only one of the three goalkeepers with a positive prevented goals stat—albeit only slightly—his error led to Japan’s goal and meant he only played one game.
Hong Seong-min ultimately secured the starting spot for the quarter-finals. After a disastrous start, conceding a penalty within the first two minutes, he redeemed himself by developing a reputation as a penalty saver during the match and shootout.
With little hope of any AFC U20 goalkeepers breaking into their K1 teams’ starting lineups, it may be worth considering alternatives in goal. Kim Yu-sung of Gangwon FC, who has at least made his K1 debut, could be an option ahead of the U20 World Cup in Chile this September.
Defending
Shin Min-ha (Gangwon FC) and Cho Hyun-woo (Daejeon Hana Citizen) formed a productive partnership, both showcasing goodcomposure on the ball and an ability to initiate play from the back with accurate passing and successful long balls (2.2 each per game).
Aerially, Shin was the superior of the two, winning 68.75% of his aerial duels—the sixth-best in the tournament—while Cho won 54%. However, Cho still made an impact defensively, recording eight clearances and nine interceptions in the 130 minutes of the Uzbekistan game, winning six of his seven defensive duels.
Shin’s minutes at Gangwon have been crucial to his development, solidifying his place as Korea’s main starter at this level. Meanwhile, Cho returns to Daejeon for his rookie campaign, hoping to earn playing time and further strengthen this partnership ahead of the U20 World Cup in Chile. Lee Ye-chan (Bucheon on loan) could push either for a start if, as expected, he gets more minutes on the pitch this season.
Overall
Korea can reflect on a positive tournament where they achieved their main goal. Some tactical and game management imprrovement is definitely required to have any kind of serious impact on the U20 World Cup this September.