Israel earns bronze with win over South Korea
Throughout the tournament, the Israeli squad pulled off a series of improbable wins, including a shock 3-2 extra-time victory over powerhouse Brazil in the quarterfinals.
(Times Of Israel) – Israel made history by clinching third place in its debut FIFA Men’s U20 World Cup in La Plata, Argentina, last Sunday by defeating South Korea 3-1 in the tournament’s bronze medal match, sparking euphoria among Jewish football fans worldwide, and joyous disbelief among its playing group, alongside talk of career advancement for some star performers.
Israel opened the scoring after 20 minutes, through a strike by midfielder Ran Binyamin beating the keeper.
Four minutes later, South Korea equalised via a penalty goal.
Israel had the best of the second half, and with 20 minutes remaining, forward Omer Senior had a goal disallowed for offside, but was successful in his next shot at goal four minutes later.
Israel sealed victory with four minutes remaining when Anan Khalaili scored, and was subsequently yellow-carded for taking his shirt off while celebrating.
Throughout the tournament, the Israeli squad pulled off a series of improbable wins, including a shock 3-2 extra-time victory over powerhouse Brazil in the quarterfinals.
They started their campaign with a draw and a loss, but moved past the group stage when beating Japan 2-1 in stoppage time, and then upset Uzbekistan 1-0 in the Round of 16.
After toppling heavyweights Brazil, Israel was brave in defeat in their 0-1 semi-final loss to eventual champions Uruguay, who went on to beat Italy 1-0 in the final.
The tournament was held in Argentina after Indonesia was stripped of its hosting rights, and participation, by FIFA, amid protests in the Muslim-majority country against hosting the Israeli team.
Many young players caught the eye of scouts from major clubs during the Under-20 World Cup, including Ori Israelov, an 18-year-old defender.
Nearly perfect in the air throughout the U20 World Cup, Israelov currently plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv and Transfermarkt believes he is worth 300,000 euros.
Other players including Roy Revivo, Stav Lemkin, Dor Turgeman, Hamza Shibli and Khalaili, are drawing interest from overseas teams, and may receive offers this year, according to the Walla news site.
The Israeli team was disappointed though, when none of their players received individual awards, even as one of the South Korean players won third place in the player rankings for the tournament.
Despite that lack of recognition, members of the national team were euphoric over their unprecedented success in Argentina over the past month.
“It’s the month of my dreams … a month I don’t know I’ll experience again,” Israel’s coach Ofir Haim said, according to Channel 12 news.
“At the 85th minute [of the bronze medal match], I heard the [Israeli] fans singing the anthem.
“They created an atmosphere as if we were at home.
“It’s impossible to describe the feeling.”
Team captain Ilay Madmon said, “We wanted it so much, and were so disappointed by the loss in the semi-finals. But then we knew we had to win third place in the world.”
Assistant coach Itai Mordechai said, “Being placed at this level is a tremendous result for Israel. I am sure that the perception in Israel will now change regarding the development of young players,” he said, adding he believed the result was not a one-off.
The players will be invited to the President’s Residence and Prime Minister’s Office in the coming weeks for ceremonies marking their achievement.
Congratulating the team for its historic achievement, president Isaac Herzog said, “You finished your incredible and exciting journey at the Mundialito, and we are all proud of you.”
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