U-20 (under 20 years old) soccer teammates are with Park Seung-ho (20, Incheon United), who dropped out due to injury. Park Seung-ho is also playing with one mind in Korea.
On the 26th of last month (Korean time), Park Seung-ho suffered an ankle injury after scoring the equalizing goal in the second leg (2-2 draw) of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup group stage against Honduras. He was forced to return to Korea for surgery, but his heart is still with his teammates in Argentina.
In a recent interview with this magazine, Park Seung-ho said, “(After scoring against Honduras), it was really good beyond words. His physical condition was also very good, but he got injured because he couldn’t control his emotions. It is also an experience,” he said. The surgery, which initially required a recovery period of five to six months, went well, and Park Seung-ho dreams of returning to the pitch after three months.
The U-20 national soccer team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, passed the group stage in second place and then defeated Ecuador and Nigeria to advance to the semifinals. Members of Kim Eun-joong took his ’18th uniform’ every time from the 3rd game of the group stage when Park Seung-ho left. It meant ‘always together’. It was a scene that gave a big echo to football fans.
Park Seung-ho, the person involved, said, “After the match against Nigeria, I felt sorry when I saw the coach and my friends crying. My friends are fighting hard, but I felt sorry for not being able to help the team after returning to Korea. When I came to Korea, there were only 20 players, but when the coach interviewed me, he always told me that there were 21 players. I was moved to tears when my colleagues picked up the uniform. Thank you very much and I’m sorry.”
In fact, coach Kim Eun-joong took care of it after confirming the quarterfinals, saying, “It was a victory made by 21 people, including Park Seung-ho, who returned home first.” Park Seung-ho said, “(When I returned to Korea) neither the coach nor my friends could easily tell me (anything). His co-workers didn’t have to be sorry, but he even said he was sorry. The bishop said he did a good job. I think he thought these were the best words.” “The director always emphasized 21 people. My body is in Korea, but my heart is in Argentina. There is a feeling of playing and living together. I often talk on the phone with my colleagues,” he said.
In the first place, Kim Eun-joong-ho did not receive much attention ahead of this tournament. It’s because he didn’t have a ‘star player’. He had few eyes that expected him to reap good results. However, he broke public concerns and wrote the myth of the four rivers. Externally, the ‘cohesion’ of 21 members is cited as the biggest strength.
Park Seung-ho said, “(Among the factors that made it to the semifinals), being the original team is the biggest. He gets along well with all of his co-workers, with no strangers. He jokes too. As the affection gradually grew, he was able to become one team. The organization is really good. Overseas teams are good as individuals, then we fight systematically as a team and win.”
Now, regardless of the result of the semifinals, Kim Eun-joong has just two games left. Our next opponent is Italy. Italy, which advanced to the tournament in second place in Group D, advanced to the semifinals by beating England and Colombia one after another. Park Seung-ho said, “I watched a lot of Italian matches. We got the feeling we could win. There is no need to do better than now, and if you just do what you do, you will be able to win.”먹튀검증
Finally, he said to his teammates, “Whether I win or lose, I want to say that I have worked hard so far. I hope you don’t get hurt while enjoying the festival.”