South Korea fell to Iraq 5-4 on penalties in the quarterfinals of the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup here on Sunday, coming up short of making its first semifinals appearance at the tournament in three decades.
At Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri in central Turkey, two South Korean kickers failed to convert in the decisive shootout as Iraq moved on after a thrilling encounter.
South Korea was seeking its first final four berth in the biennial event since 1983 in Mexico. The competition was still called the FIFA World Youth Championship at the time.
This was the second straight match in which South Korea went into the penalties. In the round of 16 contest against Colombia last Tuesday, South Korea prevailed 8-7.
On Sunday, South Korea and Iraq were tied at 3-3 after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time. Then in the penalties, Yeon Jei-min, South Korea's second kicker, sailed his shot over the bar. Iraq failed to take advantage, as its third kicker, Mohammed Jabbar Arebat, missed his chance low and left.
Iraqi goalkeeper Mohammed Hameed came through against Lee Gwang-hun, the sixth kicker for South Korea, making a diving stop to his right. Farhan Shakor found the net as Iraq's sixth and final kicker for the victory.
Iraq avenged a loss to South Korea in the final of the AFC U-19 Championship last November. South Korea had defeated Iraq 4-1 on penalties then.
Iraq nearly won Sunday's match in extra time, after Shakor scored his second of the game in the 118th minute to break the 2-2 deadlock. But only seconds before the whistle, South Korean substitute Jung Hyun-cheol evened the score with a thunderous mid-range strike that went in off an Iraq player's head.
The teams traded three goals in a highly-entertaining first half. Iraq took a 1-0 lead after Ali Faez's successful penalty in the 21st. South Korean forward Kim Hyun brought down an Iraqi player in the box while Iraq was setting up a free kick.
Kwon Chang-hoon equaled the score for South Korea just four minutes later with a header. Sim Sang-min made a long throw-in from the left touchline deep in the Iraq zone, and Kwon leapt high to redirect the ball into the far corner.
Then just three minutes from halftime, Iraq regained the lead. Goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun made a diving stop on a volley by Ali Qasim but the unmarked Shakor pounced on the rebound.
South Korea evened the score five minutes into the second half, as Lee Gwang-hun headed in a Kwon Chang-hoon free kick.
After a cautious stretch in extra time, Shakor caught the South Korean defense napping in a mad scramble near the goal, and just got enough of the loose ball for what appeared to be the game winner.
Then Jung, who came off the bench moments after Shakor's goal, launched one from just outside the arc to set up the nail-biting finish on penalties.
After the tough loss, South Korean head coach Lee Kwang-jong said he was proud of his players' efforts.
"We were supposed to be the underdog, but I kept telling our players to have pride in themselves and that they will have a good tournament if they play together as a team," Lee said at the post-match press conference, fighting back tears. "That was what drove this team and made us so mentally strong. The media and others kept saying we weren't good enough, but everyone came together as a team. That helped us stand our ground against some of the world's best."
South Korean players, however, weren't as successful at hiding their tears. Lee Gwang-hun, one of two South Koreans to miss in the shootout, apologized to his teammates and coaches.
"The semifinal berth was right there for us, and I feel bad for my teammates and all the fans who supported us," said a teary Lee, who scored the second-half equalizer in regulation. "But I think we showed that when we become one, we can play anybody."
Sim Sang-min, who assisted on South Korea's first goal of the game, also shed tears, saying he couldn't contain his emotions after watching his teammates cry.
"This tournament was a chance to lay down a foundation to grow further and also to build some good memories," Sim said. "I think we showed South Korea can be competitive (at the U-20 level)."
Jung Hyun-cheol played just a couple of minutes but that was more than enough for him to tie the score late in the extra time. It was his first appearance in the tournament.
"I was so numb when I scored that goal," he said. "It was the greatest moment of my career, but I was crushed that we lost. For many reasons, I will remember this tournament for a long time."
In the semifinals, it will be Iraq against Uruguay, and France versus Ghana. (Yonhap News)
