The key facts
- Russia's U15 team beat South Korea 4:1 in the round of 16 of the tournament for 17th–32nd places at the World Championship and FIFA Festival in Azerbaijan
- Earlier, the team won all five group-stage matches (44 scored, 1 conceded), but lost to Mexico 2:3 in the first round of the main playoffs
- In the quarterfinal on October 29 at 10:30 Moscow time, the Russians will play Cameroon
The win over Korea sends the Russians into the quarterfinals
Russia's youth football team (players aged 15 or under) defeated the Republic of Korea 4:1 in the round of 16 of the tournament for 17th–32nd places at the World Championship and FIFA Festival currently taking place in Azerbaijan. This was reported by the Russian Football Union, citing which Life.ru provides the details.
Course of the match
Denis Pervushin's team opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute — Anatoly Tsimin found the net, and then Matvei Rodionov doubled the lead. The Koreans reduced the deficit with an unusual goal struck from the center of the pitch. After the break, Yegor Lyusin extended the lead in the 21st minute, and Matvei Abdulkhalikov, after a solo run, set the final score at 4:1.
Tournament context and what has already been decided
Earlier, the Russians won all five matches of the group stage, scoring 44 goals and conceding only one, but in the first round of the main playoffs they lost to Mexico 2:3 and lost the chance to fight for the main trophy — that defeat has already happened, whereas the team continues playing in the matches for 17th–32nd places. The victory over Korea sent it into the quarterfinals of this part of the tournament, where on October 29 at 10:30 Moscow time the opponent will be the Cameroon national team.
Format and status of the participation
The tournament is held in an eight-a-side format on reduced pitches, with each match lasting 40 minutes. For the Russian team this is its first participation in a FIFA-sanctioned competition since 2022, and with the national flag and anthem.
