ITALY and Colombia became the first teams to clinch quarter-final places on Sunday as the Round of 16 kicked off at the ongoing FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Poland.
The first berth came at the expense of the hosts, with Italy defeating Poland 1-0 in Gdynia behind Andrea Pinamonti’s cheeky chip from the penalty spot.
Gli Azzurri held on to the lead they seized in the 38th minute thanks in large part to the steady play of goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari, who made multiple second-half saves to secure advancement.
Los Cafeteros started quickly in the nightcap. Forward Ivan Angulo served up his set-piece on a platter for Andres Reyes to head home in the 11th minute.
Elijah Just answered before the first half was over, however, leaving nothing to separate the two sides all the way through to a penalty shoot-out.
Colombian keeper, Kevin Mier made the winning save, stretching out to his left to deny Matt Conroy. – FIFA.com
