The U-20 finals in numbers

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minutes without conceding is the record Brazil established between 1985 and 1987, thanks to future senior international goalkeepers Taffarel and Ronaldo. A Seleção are currently on a run of 257 minutes without leaking a goal – they lost to Ghana on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the 2009 final – meaning they could break their own landmark in Colombia.

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centimetres is what makes Austria goalkeeper Samuel Radlinger the tallest player at Colombia 2011, with Mali striker Kalifa Coulibaly, just one centimetre smaller, the tallest outfield competitor. England have the tallest average team (183cms), while Guatemala have the smallest (172cms). Furthermore, the Central Americans' playmaker Kevin Norales is this competition's most diminutive player, standing at just 161 centimetres.

100

per cent of squad members from Egypt, England, Korea DPR and Saudi Arabia play their club football in their homeland. Eight-two of the 504 players (16.2 per cent) are based overseas, with Cameroon's squad including the most: eight of 21 (38.1 per cent

per cent of FIFA U-20 World Cups have been won by South American teams. Argentina lead the way on six titles, followed by four-time champions Brazil, who between them have lifted the trophy on seven of the last nine occasions. Portugal, winners in 1989 and 1991, are the only other nation to have conquered the competition more than once.

FIFA U-20 World Cup matches is the record total in which Les Scheinflug coached. Born in Germany, he guided Australia in seven editions between 1983 and 1997, leading them to the semi-finals in 1991 and 1993. Jose Pekerman is next on the list, having overseen 21 Argentina games from 1995 to 2001.

years and eight months is the age at which Kang Il Nam will be when the 18th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup gets underway on Friday, making him the youngest player in Colombia. The Korea DPR defender was born almost four years after some of the players at the tournament. Nigeria, meanwhile, have the youngest average team, at 18 years and nine months.

seconds is all it took Nigeria's Monday Odiaka to score the fastest goal in FIFA U-20 World Cup history against Canada in 1985. His compatriot, John Owoeri, netted the second-quickest, four seconds shy of the record, against the Netherlands six years ago.

goals in what makes Brazil's 10-3 thrashing of Korea Republic in 1997 the highest-scoring match in FIFA U-20 World Cup history. Future Seleção internationals Fernandao and Ze Elias posted braces apiece in the contest, while Adailton was on target an incredible six times in a 39-minute spell. Kosta Salapasidis of Australia and Spain's Fernando Llorente, who managed four goals in respective meetings with Argentina in 1997 and Chile in 2005, remain the only other players to have netted more than three times in one game at the tournament.

goals is what makes Javier Saviola the leading marksman in FIFA U-20 World Cup history. The diminutive Argentinian striker managed his haul in seven matches en route to gold on home soil in 2001, though he failed to score in two of those. Adailton boasts a superior goals-per-game ratio than Saviola: the Brazilian scored ten times in five games in 1997, before his side fell to La Albiceleste in the last eight.

is what makes April 25 of Korea DPR and Costa Rica's Saprissa the best-represented clubs in Colombia. England is the country in which a unmatched 31 players are based, followed by Spain (29), France (25) and Argentina (23).

referees who took charge of matches at the FIFA U-20 World Cup went on to do the same in the Final of the FIFA World Cup™: Arnaldo Coelho (1982), Edgardo Codesal Mendez (1990), Sandor Puhl (1994), Horacio Elizondo (2006) and Howard Webb (2010).

goals is the deficit Nigeria recovered in an exhilarating 23-minute spell to draw with Soviet Union en route to a 5-3 shoot-out victory in their Saudi Arabia 1989 quarter-final. An Oleg Salenko strike had helped the Soviets carry a 4-0 lead into the final third, and ultimately seized him the adidas Golden Shoe – the Leningrad native shared the same award with Bulgaria's Hristo Stoichkov at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, after famously scoring five goals in a 60-minute period against Cameroon. However, Christopher Ohen kick-started the comeback in the 61st minute, and after Nduka Ugbade had equalised on 84 minutes, the Africans successfully converted all five of their penalties to go through.

editions of the FIFA U-20 World Cup is what Saudi Arabia's Abdulrahman Al Roomi (1985, 1987 and 1989), American Freddy Adu and David Edgar of Canada have been involved in (both 2003, 2005 and 2007), though the latter did not receive any playing time in his maiden participation. One-hundred-and-thirteen players appeared in two previous instalments of the competition, with another 13 set to join them.

Weimann laments, discusses Brazil test

Few would deny that luck plays a vital role in football. For all the skill in the world, sometimes a little good fortune is needed for things to go your way, as Austria’s Andreas Weimann can readily attest.
In his side’s FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011 opener – a disappointing scoreless draw against Panama – the striker let four clear-cut second-half chances go begging. While credit should go to an excellent performance by goalkeeper Luis Mejia, the Aston Villa player's failure to get on the score-sheet was largely due to bad luck on the day.

Weimann told: “We could have beaten Panama comfortably if we’d created more chances, but we didn’t and we’re disappointed with our failure to score.”

The No9 was, however, full of praise for Mejia: “He had an extraordinary game, but I didn’t get the breaks against him and I wasted a number of chances that would have sealed the win for us.”

We’ll be studying our opponents’ previous matches, and we’ll also try to analyse the Brazil team and how they play.

Andreas Weimann of Austria

Weimann highlighted one opportunity in particular. With ten minutes left on the clock, he rose to meet a cross from Emir Dilaver, only to see his header turned over the crossbar by Mejia’s outstretched fingers. Thhe 19-year-old Austrian was so astonished by the reflex save that he stood rooted to the spot.

Even now, recalling the save, he sounds incredulous. Weimann said: “When I headed the ball I knew it was on target and I was pretty sure it was going in, but his reactions were superlative and he tipped it over for a corner."

For his part, Mejia had nothing but admiration for his rival, describing Weimann as a constant threat and singling out his 80th-minute attempt as the moment the match could have been won or lost: “The Austrians created a number of chances, the best being Weimann’s header, which would have led to a very different result if I hadn’t turned it over. My save gave a boost to my team-mates and we hung on to take the point.”
For his part, Austria coach Andreas Heraf is refusing to dwell on the missed opportunities, seeing them as part and parcel of the game. Moreover, he insisted he was anything but disappointed in Weimann, who for the last half-hour played as a lone striker after partner Robert Zulj was substituted.
“He might have squandered a few chances but I’m certainly not disappointed in Andreas,” the 43-year-old said. “It’s a normal part of the game for players to miss some opportunities.”
Bring on BrazilAustria will be hoping to put the Panama game behind them and focus on their upcoming clash with a powerful Brazil, whom they may have to beat if they want to go further in Colombia. Weimann, who turns 20 on Friday, knows that he cannot afford a similar bout of profligacy in this vital game.
“We wanted to get off to a strong start and win our first match, but now we have to try our best in the next two fixtures if we want to progress and qualify for the Round of 16,” he said.

And as our interview concluded, Weimann sounded cautiously optimistic about the challenge ahead: “We’ll be studying our opponents’ previous matches, and we’ll also try to analyse the Brazil team and how they play. It’s going to be a difficult game but we’ll do our best to win and keep our hopes alive.”