The quarterfinals have officially ended at the U-20 World Cup, and after many goals and a couple of red cards, two more nations booked their spots in the semifinals.
Italy played with ten men for a majority of the match, yet still beat Zambia thanks to a winner in extra time. In the other quarterfinal, England’s one goal was enough to see off Mexico, despite also picking up a red card. The winners will face each other, joining Uruguay and Venezuela as semifinalists.
Here’s a closer look at Monday’s matches:
ITALY 3-2 (AET) ZAMBIA
Though Italy reigned supreme on the day, it was Zambia who started the match on top.
Zambia got off to a quick start as Patson Daka scored only four minutes into the match. Matters got worse for Italy as, two minutes before halftime, Giuseppe Pezzella was given a red card after fouling Edward Chilufya.
Fortune started going Italy’s way in the second half, as Riccardo Orsolini scored a header in the 50th minute. The last ten minutes of regulation saw both teams get on the scoresheet, with Zambia’s Fashion Sakala scoring in the 84th minute, and Federico Dimarco’s freekick leveling the score at 2-2 four minutes later.
Italy finally overcame their struggles, grabbing a winner in extra time. Luca Vido was the hero on the day, scoring from close range off a corner as Italy confirmed their spot in the semifinals.
MEXICO 0-1 ENGLAND
The final quarterfinal saw a close match with England narrowly making the semifinals.
The deadlock was broken just after halftime, as Lewis Cook found Dominic Solanke darting towards the penalty area. The recently-signed Liverpool striker then easily finished, scoring the game’s lone goal in the 47th minute.
Maintaining the lead became a tougher task for England, as Josh Onomah was controversially sent off after a second yellow in the 72nd minute. Onomah’s second yellow card, in particular, became a topic of debate, considering there was minimal contact between himself and Mexico’s Juan Aguayo. Regardless, the Tottenham midfielder will miss the semifinal date with Italy.