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Uruguay down Israel to qualify for Under-20 World Cup final / Photo: © AFP
Uruguay down Israel to qualify for Under-20 World Cup final
Uruguay beat surprise package Israel 1-0 on Thursday to qualify for the Under-20 World Cup final.
The Israelis stunned Brazil in the quarter-finals but their charmed progress through to the last four in the competition came to an end at La Plata's Diego Maradona stadium.
In the first half, Israel's goalkeeper Tomer Zarfati denied Uruguay striker Anderson Duarte, with the 19-year-old then hitting the woodwork.
On a far from perfect playing surface Israel held on gamely but were finally undone when Franco Gonzalez's 61st minute strike hit the post, with Duarte on hand to slam home the rebound past Zarfati.
Uruguay will face the winner of Thursday's second semi-final, also at La Plata, between Italy and South Korea in Sunday's final.
This is the third time Uruguay have reached the U-20 World Cup final - they were beaten on penalties by France in 2013, and by Argentina 2-1 in 1997.
FIFA moved the competition to Argentina weeks before kick-off, world football's governing body withdrawing Indonesia's hosting rights after protests against Israel's participation.
A.S. Leite--JDB
