Lee “K-Harry Kane” Young-jun (20-Gimcheon Commerce) started the final match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023, putting an end to Kim Eun-joong’s mythical run to the quarterfinals.
Lee started the third-place game against Israel on Wednesday (June 12) and has started all seven games of the tournament.
After garnering attention for his “salute” in the first game of the tournament, a 2-1 win over France, Lee has started all of Korea’s games and has been at 스포츠토토 the forefront of the defense. After impressing with an extra goal in the first group game against France, he played virtually every game full-time until the quarterfinals.
When Park Seung-ho (20-Incheon United) returned home after suffering a serious ankle injury in the second game against Honduras, Lee’s importance grew even more.
Lee led the way for Kim Eun-Joong-ho with a performance reminiscent of Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), whom he cites as his role model. Instead of simply staying in the center, he moved to the flanks to help move the ball forward. His post play also shone as he protected the ball with his back to the opposition.
Against Ecuador in the Round of 16, he showed off his goal-scoring skills with an amazing trapping move and non-stop shooting. Against Nigeria in the quarterfinals and Italy in the semifinals, he struggled to keep his composure in the face of harsh fouls and played a solid post game. He played the full 90 minutes of each game and didn’t crumble under the pressure. Against 3-4 Israel, he played 60 minutes before being called off duty. Lee’s final tally for the tournament was two goals and one assist in seven games.
It was a rebound from his disappointing performance at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup 2023 in March. He made five appearances (two starts), but was unable to score in the tournament. Kim hung his head in shame after a penalty shootout loss to Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals. A lack of offense was also cited as a reason for their exit.
“I should have scored a goal (at the Asian Cup), but I was disappointed that I didn’t. The team was in a difficult situation and I had chances, but I couldn’t take advantage of them,” Lee said at a press conference during the April call-up training. But as for the World Cup, he said, “If we play, of course the goal is to win. There’s no point in losing,” he said.
Two months later, he shone on the world stage with a K-Harry Kane-like performance. Although he fell one step short of his goal, his performance left a lasting impression on fans.