The hosts may have overcome Guinea 3-0 on the opening day of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017, but the emphatic scoreline belies what was a difficult first encounter.

Perhaps due to the pressure of playing in front of a home crowd that packed the Jeonju World Cup Stadium to the rafters, the young Koreans took a while to find their feet and initially looked flustered by their opponents' powerful frontline. Yet, the Taeguk Warriors regrouped and their not-so-secret weapon, No10 Lee Seungwoo, became the driving force in what eventually proved a comfortable victory, breaking the deadlock in the first half and then setting up Lim Minhyeok's goal after the interval.

"It was a very difficult game, perhaps because it was our first and we didn't know that much about Guinea as opponents. We struggled initially," Lee told FIFA.com after the match. "But, as time passed, we settled down. We felt inspired and galvanised by how many fans had turned out to support us. It was the first time I'd ever played in front of such a huge crowd."

It is true that fortune favoured Lee in an encounter that was poised on a knife-edge at some points. His goal took a deflection off a Guinean defender, while his pass to play in Lim Minhyeok only just crept through an opposition player's legs. "Considering my lucky goal and assist, I wonder if the rest of the tournament will go just as smoothly," the Barcelona hotshot said with a smile. "If we perform well in the remaining group matches and make it through, then we can look towards even greater heights."

Despite early difficulties in their opener, the Koreans should not find their Group A opponents too unfamiliar, having faced off against both Guinea and England at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile two years ago. "If you compare this tournament to Chile, the group stage is exactly the same except we've got Argentina instead of Brazil. We learned a lot from the U-17 World Cup, so the players who participated in that tournament are sharing their experiences with the rest of the squad and helping each other out."

Chile 2015, however, ended in heartbreak for Lee and his team-mates. Despite topping Group B thanks to wins over Brazil and Guinea, plus a draw with England, they fell at the next hurdle, losing 2-0 to Belgium in the Round of 16.

" I quickly forgot about it, accepted that what's past is past, and focused on continuing my training. This U-20 World Cup is different from the tournament in Chile. We've got home advantage and I want to go further than the Round of 16."

This ambition is borne out by the message 'hidden' in the new haircut that Lee is sporting at Korea Republic 2017. "I change my hairstyle ahead of any major tournament and this one was no exception," he explained. "The initials SW that are visible in my sideburns represent not only my name, but also my desire to achieve six wins and progress to the final, which is to be held in my hometown of Suwon."

Several formidable adversaries stand in the hosts' way on the path to Suwon, with La Albiceleste next up. "Argentina are the South American heavyweights, so we are in no position to underestimate them in any way. We will prepare well and make sure that we are even more pumped up ahead of our second game. After all, a win would all but secure our passage into the knockout rounds."