Kim Jun-hong (Gimcheon Sangmu) was not shaken by the unfavorable refereeing decision. The South Korean goalkeeper also saved a crucial goal and proved himself to be the ‘number one’.
At 3 a.m. ET on June 23 at the Mendoza Stadium in Argentina, South Korea defeated France 2-1 in their first match of Group F at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023. South Korea moved into first place in the group.
South Korea played a defensive game against ‘powerhouse’ France. From the beginning of the game, the team tried to control France’s fast and skilled flankers. In the 23rd minute, they capitalized on a counterattack and scored the first goal through Lee Seung-won.
France then launched a major offensive push but were unable to break through Kim Jun-hong. France even got inside the penalty area and had a few shots on goal, but they were all saved by Kim.
Kim Joon-hong saved what could have been an own goal in the fifth minute of the second half. Park Hyun-bin tried to head home a cross from the left, but it was headed towards the South Korean goal. Kim Joon-hong was quick to get down and palm it away. An own goal early in the second half would have been devastating, but Kim Jun-hong made the save to keep Korea in the game.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, Kim conceded a penalty kick in an unfair decision. He collided with opposing striker Malamin Efekele, and the referee called a foul and warned him for failing to clear the ball. However, the opposing striker’s forceful challenge could have resulted in an injury.
However, Kim remained focused until the end. In the 41st minute, Alexis Tibidi sent an exquisite volley into the corner of the goal from near the penalty area. It was difficult to see the exact trajectory of the shot as it was blocked by the defense. However, Kim Jun-hong was able to get a fingertip save. Kim also helped South Korea to victory in second-half stoppage time when he cleared a cross and calmly saved a mid-range shot. 먹튀검증
Kim has been a standout performer since the U20 Asian Cup. He also made a brilliant save in the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan, which ended in a penalty shootout. In this tournament, he showed why he is trusted by coach Kim Eun-joong by playing from the first game.