‘Kim Eun Joong Ho’ captain Lee Seung-won (Gangwon), who scored the most offensive points (3 goals and 4 assists) with his dazzling right foot, was awarded the ‘Bronze Ball’.
Lee received the ‘Bronze Ball’ trophy, which is awarded to the third most outstanding player, at a ceremony following the conclusion of the U20 World Cup Argentina 2023 final at La Plata Stadium in La Plata, Argentina, on June 12 (KST).
After receiving the award, Lee said, “I am honored to receive this award on the stage of the U20 World Cup. It’s a team effort,” said Lee, “and I want to celebrate it on behalf of the players.”
“I didn’t expect to win the Bronze Ball. We played with the idea that the team result was more important than individual awards, and it feels good to have a good result.”
South Korea finished the tournament in fourth place after conceding two late goals in the third-place match against Israel, 1-3, despite Lee Seung-won scoring a penalty kick.
It is only the second time a South Korean male player has won an individual award at the U20 World Cup since Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) won the 안전놀이터 Golden Ball (tournament MVP) in Poland four years ago.
South Korea finished as runners-up to Ukraine, but Lee took home the Golden Ball with two goals and four assists.
If you include the A team, it’s the second time Hong Myung-bo (now head coach of Ulsan Hyundai) has won a bronze ball after he was part of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup final four.
Lee’s presence at the tournament was ‘military-grade’.
Unlike four years ago, when Lee Kang-in was the shining star of the tournament, Kim Eun-jung-ho’s team did not have a standout star player, which raised concerns. However, when the lid was lifted, Lee dazzled with his precise kicks, which were on par with Lee Kang-in’s.
After joining Gangwon last December, Lee was a near-unknown player who had yet to make his K League 1 debut, but at the U20 World Cup, he emerged as Kim Eun-Joong-ho’s biggest star.
Lee led Korea’s offense with “express deliveries” in key games, including a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over France in the first round of group play.
In the second match against Honduras, he assisted Park Seung-ho’s (Incheon) header to tie the game at 2-2, and in the round of 16 match against Ecuador (3-2 win), he assisted Choi Seok-hyun’s (Dankook University) header from a corner kick.
Similarly, in the quarterfinals against Nigeria, he assisted the winning header with an exquisite combination with Choi Seok-hyun on an extra-time corner kick.
Although he was denied a place in the final, his accuracy in the quarterfinals against Italy (1-2 loss) and the third-place game against Israel (1-3 loss) were equally impressive. As a penalty kicker, he found the back of the net for the second consecutive game with a calm right-footed shot to surpass Lee Kang-in (2 goals, 4 assists) for the most offensive points (3 goals, 4 assists).
After the tournament, Lee said, “I found out what I lacked through this tournament. “I learned a lot from playing against great players, and I want to grow up and play with world-class players and make my debut for the A team,” he said.
“I can’t improve physically, so I want to make more use of my soccer intelligence and senses to show that I’m not lagging behind on the world stage,” Lee vowed.
Meanwhile, Uruguay defeated Italy 1-0 in the final to win their first ever title.
Italy finished as runners-up, but swept the major individual awards.
Italy forward Cesare Cassaday, who scored seven goals, won the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the top scorer. He also won the Golden Ball, the tournament’s top player honor, making it a “twofer.
The Golden Glove, awarded to the best goalkeeper, went to Italian goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanchés.