Israel delivered a stunning upset, defeating the favored Brazil 3-2 in a tense quarter-final clash at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Argentina.
The match in San Juan was filled with extra-time drama, including missed penalty shots by Israel. Despite their struggles, Israel advanced to the semi-finals where they will face Uruguay or the United States.
After a goalless first half, Marcos Leonardo broke the deadlock for Brazil, only for Israel’s Anan Khalaili to respond with a powerful header just four minutes later.
In the first minute of extra time, Matheus Nascimento put Brazil ahead 2-1, but Israel’s Hamza Shibi quickly leveled the score from close range just two minutes later.
The decisive moment came in the third minute of the second half of extra time when Dor David Turgeman skillfully dribbled past two Brazilian defenders in the penalty box to secure the winning goal.
Despite their victory, Israel had their share of missed opportunities, including two penalty kicks in the second half of extra time, intensifying the match’s suspense until the final whistle.
Reflecting on the match, Brazilian midfielder Marlon Gomes admitted that Israel outperformed Brazil and acknowledged that his team could have performed better.
In another quarter-final match, Italy had a more comfortable journey, defeating Colombia 3-0 to secure their spot in the next round.
Cesare Casadei, a standout player of the tournament, opened the scoring with a well-placed header in the 9th minute. Tommaso Baldanzi added a second goal from close range in the 38th minute, while Francesco Esposito extended the lead to 3-0 just after halftime.
Colombia managed to reduce the deficit with a Jhojan Torres goal from outside the box in the 49th minute, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback against Italy’s dominant performance.