The French national team’s bid to win the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has left the country in a state of shock after they fell short against South Korea in their own backyard.
“The French national team, led by Thierry Henry, was humiliated at home by South Korea,” French soccer media outlet Foot Mercato wrote in its coverage of the 0-3 loss on Nov. 21 (KST).
The South Korean Under-23s defeated France 3-0 in a friendly against the French Under-21s at Stade Ocean in Le Havre, France, thanks to a multi-goal performance from Jung Sang-bin, nicknamed “K-Mbappe,” and a late stoppage-time winner from Hong Yun-sang.
It was the first time an Olympic-qualified South Korean Under-23 team had ever beaten France. They had drawn one and lost two of their previous three matches.
Henri opted for a frontline duo of Mathis Tell, who plays for Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, and Arnaud Calimiento, who is a star striker for Stade Rennes in the French Ligue 1.
Most of the starters, including Magnus Akiloche (AS Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), and Chimuanya Ugochukwu (Stade Rennes), have established themselves in the big leagues at a young age. The French outplayed South Korea, who had three foreigners in their starting lineup, including Kim Ji-soo, Jung Sang-bin, and Hong Yun-sang.
France dominated the first half with their power advantage and the support of their home fans. But a flurry of shots went wide or were saved by Korea goalkeeper Shin Song-hoon, 무지개토토 주소 while Calimbiandeau’s effort from a free kick in the final minute of the first half struck the post.
After squandering one scoring chance after another, France were denied by Korea. In the 70th minute of the second half, a free kick from Sang Bin was deflected into the French goal.
After conceding the lead, France was shaken. Nine minutes later, they conceded another goal. The flanks were breached, and the defense scrambled around and lost track of the onrushing Sangbin.
France didn’t manage to score a second goal, but conceded a wedge goal in stoppage time to Hong Yun-sang. Once again, a defensive mistake led to a goal. After blocking a Korean shot, they tried to take it easy, but the Koreans were persistent and kept giving them possession.
Leave a Reply