South Korea's under-19 national football team opened an international tournament at home with a 1-0 win over Morocco on Wednesday.
South Korea beat 10-man Morocco in their opening match at the 2018 Suwon JS Cup at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, thanks to a goal by Kim Hyun-woo.
The JS Cup is an international men's under-19 football tournament that features four nations. This year's competition pits South Korea against Morocco, Mexico and Vietnam.
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South Korean under-19 national football team players celebrate after scoring a goal in their match against Morocco at the 2018 Suwon JS Cup at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 18, 2018. (Yonhap) |
This invitational tournament is organized by the JS Foundation, for which former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung serves as president. Park is currently also head of the youth football strategy department at the Korea Football Association.
South Korean defender Hwang Tae-hyeon missed a penalty kick in the 26th minute, but moments later in the 27th, Kim fired a right-footed strike following a corner kick and gave the hosts a 1-0 lead.
South Korea, led by head coach Jeong Jeong-yong, almost allowed an equalizer in the 66th minute, when Morocco created a one-on-one chance in the box, but goalkeeper Min Seong-jun stepped up to make a save. Morocco later went down to 10 players after Tahif Adil was sent off in the 86th.
South Korea will next face Mexico on Friday. Mexico beat Vietnam 4-0 in their opening match in Suwon. (Yonhap)
