Jeonju Council Tax

Mexico U20 0 v Venezuela U20 1
England U20 1 v Korea U20 0

FIFA U20 World Cup, Groups B & A

Played at Suwon World Cup Stadium, South Korea

Friday 26 May 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

12 Korean Beer Ticks

I thoroughly enjoyed that. A large, essentially 46k sell out, partisan crowd. Weather the storm. Settle down. Come into it. Start to boss it. Go ahead. Get to the second storm. Manage the game. Get over the line. Win the Group. Gain momentum.

Three things could have improved my day Craft Beer. Knock the Koreans out. Better performance from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Dom started today. Having only been a Sub in the second group game v Guinea. More conventional up top role today. Rather than the link up man thing he did in the first game (v Argentina). He looked a bit isolated to me. A lot of England attacks were fast counters. So, Dom had his own players running towards him. At pace. With the ball at their feet. Lots of the slip passes were to other breaking England players. Rather than the “static” DCL.

Don't get me wrong. He had his moments. Maybe tried to be a little too clever on the ball at times. Got some work done. And, had a crucial defensive role to play at Korean corners. No shirt for Harrison Chapman, an unused substitute.

The recap is … England topped their group of 4. With 7 points. Unbeaten. Only conceded once. And, that was a comedy own goal v Guinea. The Koreans came second in the group. So, England & Korea go through to the (why do they bother?) Round of 16. Argentina were third in the group with three points. Theoretically, they can still qualify as one of the best 3rd placed teams. Poxy format.

England will play a third placed team in R16. In Jeonju. Their/my route would then be QF in Cheonan, SF back in Jeonju. So, when I relocate to Jeonju for R16, that will be the THIRD time I've been out there. With fingers crossed, maybe another visit to come.

The Australian Branch of the Carrier Bag Firm have now done the off. So, my first phase has finished as well. Four grounds, Jeonju, Suwon, Incheon, Cheonan. (And that will be it - no England games in Daejeon not Jeju).

Hell’s Teeth. Just done the ELEVEN games in SEVEN DAYS.

I've been at three Double Headers which have featured the Koreans. So, I've been through the big crowds. We can't play the Koreans again until the Final. Of course I want to put the Koreans out. They're the Hosts. That's what we've come for. But, naturally you warm to them. But, I don't get it. Tens of thousands seem to have no sensible plan to get in the ground.

Honestly, they're still streaming in with 35 minutes gone. And then. You can actually leave the ground if you want. (Have your ticket scanned on the way out, & on the way back in). To get back in you have to go through bag search, airline scanner, wand & pat down AGAIN. We've taken one look at it & said “Fuck That”. But, tens of thousands of Koreans have upped sticks & left the ground at half time. Queue to be scanned & get out. Queue to get your Chilsung & Pot Noodles. Queue to get BACK through Security. Queue to be scanned in again. Fuck That.

There are obviously a lot of Day Trippers. In through the gate. Up to the top of the aisle. Selfies. The girl who was sat in the single seat next to Mrs Ball Sup got in and sat down after 35 minutes. Immediately got her make up out. And NEVER put her phone away. Many of them don't seem to understand that the game is always there. To them it's a series of set plays. They concentrate for very short moments when the ball is near the Penalty Area.

The Korea U20s have two players in the Barcelona system. They are treated as superstars. The screaming is ratcheted up when they are near the ball. Anyway. They were both on the bench. England had to weather the second storm when the two of them came on. That gives me the chance to say how calm & composed England were in defence. They tidied up time after time after time. Impressive really.

485/1011