Ecuador U20 will take on South Korea U20 at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in the FIFA U20 World Cup on Thursday.
Both teams finished second in their groups to qualify for the knockout stage. Ecuador thrashed Fiji 9-0 in their final group game to sit six points behind Group B leaders USA. South Korea finished with a goalless draw against Group F surprise package Gambia to pick up five points.
La Tricolor will once again put their defensive prowess in line with a well-organized team known for their neat passing. Ecuador’s spectacular victory over Fiji cannot be used to judge their attackers due to the weakness of the opposition. However, their brilliant performance against the USA, despite losing 1-0, is cause for concern.
South Korea made their intentions very clear in their first match as they outplayed and defeated 2013 FIFA U20 World Champions France 2-1. But France’s subsequent results (one loss, one win) ultimately showed that they were below par and therefore cannot be used to judge South Korea’s true strength.
Taegeuk warriors are expected to maintain their high-energy attack and defense pattern, which they can sustain with their immense stamina. But they could struggle against Ecuador’s individual qualities and dangerous counter-attacks. South Korea’s weakness in the air could also benefit from Ecuador’s deft headers.
Ecuador U20 vs South Korea U20: TV Channel and Live Streaming
Argentina: DIRECTV Sports App, DIRECTV Sports Argentina
Canada: TSN+, RDS App
Egypt: beIN Sports Premium 3, beIN Sports English 3, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, TOD
France: L’Equipe Web
Indonesia: Vidio
International: FIFA+
Iran: beIN Sports English 3, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, TOD, beIN Sports Premium 3
Mexico: ViX
Morocco: TOD, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports English 3, beIN Sports Premium 3
New Zealand: Sky Sport 1 NZ
Portugal: RTP Play
Saudi Arabia: beIN SPORTS CONNECT, TOD
South Africa: DStv App, SuperSport Football
South Korea: MBC Korea, SBS Korea, KBS2 Korea
UAE: beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN Sports Premium 3, TOD, beIN Sports English 3
United States: Fubo (free trial), Telemundo Deportes En Vivo