Under-20 World Cup, results: Colombia 1-1 Senegal, Japan 1-2 Israel

Fireworks final on the last day of group C of the Under 20 World Cup, where Senegal and Japan throw away a qualification within reach until the last minutes of added time. Israel celebrates, conquering an incredible second place by overturning the Asians 2-1 despite the numerical inferiority in the last 20 ‘. The elimination of Senegal is also incredible, as they collect a draw from Colombia (already qualified before taking the field) in the 95th minute, slipping to last place in the group.

JAPAN-ISRAEL 1-2

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In Mendoza, Israel wins by playing only the last half hour. Until then, for the Asians it’s almost a walk in the park: no less than three rings in the first 11′ by the Japanese (twice with Abe, once with Matsuki, still among the best today), but to reap the rewards of the commitment Japan had to wait for the recovery of the first fraction, when Matsuki made a perfect cross that Sakamoto headed into the net. It seems made for the Japanese, both because their rivals show no sign of reaction, and because in the 68th minute they are also outnumbered due to Binyamin’s expulsion (double yellow card in the 4th minute). Instead it is precisely the excess of confidence that plays a bad joke on Togashi’s team, who are inattentive in the 76th minute on a cross that Navi converts into an equaliser. The ending becomes a furious assault, because at that point the Israelis believe it and smell the enterprise. In Japan, on the other hand, legs are shaking. Until the punctual slip that arrives in the 92nd minute, the result of a combination in the Tugerman-Senior area on the edge of offside. The party explodes on the Israeli bench and the Japanese are not enough for the last three minutes of added time to remedy a sensational disaster.

COLOMBIA-SENEGAL 1-1

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Senegal clings to the residual chances of qualifying in case of victory by immediately attacking with their heads down. The script is the same as the first two outings for the Africans: width, ball on the ground and Diallo playing the charge. A recipe that in the first 45′ puts a low-key Colombia in serious trouble and imprecise in the restarts. But in the second half the music changes thanks to the higher center of gravity and the attitude of the South Americans, who begin to appear from the parts of Ndiaye with a certain frequency. First, Pedrozo’s wrong aim saved Senegal and, in the 52nd minute, the crossbar, which rejected a header in Castillo’s small area. Cortes and Luna’s plays on the side lanes become the extra weapon for Cardenas’s team, who however always finds Ndiaye attentive and reactive. At least until the 95th minute, when a lob from Castillo caught Cortes free to place a soft right foot behind the African goalkeeper, caught in no man’s land. An authentic suicide for the Senegalese, who throw away a qualification hitherto widely deserved.