Defender Choi Seok-hyeon (second from left) on June 4 rejoices after heading in the winning goal against Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup at the stadium Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

By Charles Audouin
Photos = Korea Football Association

The men's under-20 (U-20) soccer team has defeated Nigeria in overtime in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup to advance to the semifinals.

The Korean team on June 4 won, 1-0, at the stadium Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, to make the tournament's final four.

This marks Korea's second straight berth in the competition's semifinals after finishing as runner-up in the 2019 tournament.

Next for the team on June 9 at 6 a.m. Korean Standard Time is Italy in La Plata for the right to play in the finals.

Korea and Nigeria played hard in regulation but failed to score after 90 minutes, thus the game went to overtime. The winning goal came just five minutes later after midfielder Lee Seung-won of Gangwon FC fired a corner kick that was headed in by defender Choi Seok-hyeon of Dankook University.

This was Choi's second goal from Lee's corner kick, following the first in the round of 16 win over Ecuador.

Lee has a goal and four assists in this tournament, the best for a Korean player in a FIFA competition since Lee Kang-in's two goals and four assists in the 2019 edition. Lee Seung-won is also Korea's first to have four assists all from set pieces -- three from corner kicks and one from a free kick.

"I believed that if we didn't give up until the end and showed Korea's strength, we'd surely win," head coach Kim Eun-jung said. "The players persevered well to produce a good result."

Korea made it to the semifinals of the 1983 U-20 World Cup in Mexico and finished runner-up in the 2019 edition in Poland. 

The Taegeuk Warriors also advanced to the semifinals of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and won the bronze medal in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The latest win in Argentina is Korea's fifth semifinal advance in a FIFA men's tournament. 

The men's under-20 (U-20) World Cup soccer team on June 4 takes a group photo after advancing to the semifinals at the stadium Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Argentina.