The semifinal round has officially ended and the Under-20 World Cup final showdown is set with a game between UEFA regular and rising CONMEBOL team. England slogged it out in an all Europe semifinal affair with the Azzurri of Italy and managed to put away the young Italians in regulation. Meanwhile, up and coming CONMEBOL team Venezuela was taken into extra-time for the second consecutive game after their quarterfinal triumph over the United States Under-20 team. It also took penalty of shootouts to “overcome” Uruguay.
Now the two teams (Venezuela and England) will battle it out in what is certain to be a “competitive” final this Saturday.
Here's a major recaps of the two semifinals games and how they actually went down.
Italy 1, England 3
It was an all Europe affair on Thursday, as England comfortably outplayed Italy in regulation. The young Azzurri seized the early “initiative,” as witty forward Riccardo Orsolini scored the opener in the third minute to put Italy ahead. Afterwards, the Three Lions apparently took control of possession and setting up chances from all angles throughout the first half in search of an equalizer but never found the net. However, the second-half proved to be entirely different. In the sixty-sixth minute, forward Dominic Solanke leveled up the scoreline to bring hope back for England.
Eleven minutes later, the Three Lions doubled their lead thanks to an Ademola Lookman's seventy-seventh minute brilliant finish, before Dominic Solanke netted in his second goal of the game in the eighty-eighth minute making the scoreline 3-1 at full time.
Uruguay 1 (3), Venezuela 1 (4)
Uruguay and Venezuela apparently found no winner after 121 minutes of play, and it was the penalty shootouts that determined the eventual victor. After a goalless first forty-five minutes, forward Nicolas De La Cruz converted a forty-ninth minute penalty spot kick to put Uruguay ahead. The lead seemed to be the match winner, but Samuel Sosa stunningly “denied” Uruguay the victory with his ninety-first minute equalizer to level up the scoreline for Venezuela before stoppage time.
With neither side able to finish up the encounter off in extra-time, it eventually went to penalty shootouts to determine the winner. Jose Luis Rodriguez missed Uruguay's second penalty shot, but they were given another chance as Yeferson Soteldo also missed Venezuela's fourth effort to even things-out for the both teams. Unfortunately for the young Uruguayans, forward Nicolas De La Cruz skyrocketed his fifth penalty shot before Yangel Herrera clinically converted the winner to ultimately sealed Venezuela's passage to the finals
