“I am truly sorry to the people of the Republic of Korea.”
The Indonesian under-23 (U-23) Olympic team led by coach Shin Tae-yong participated in the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics Asian Final Qualifier held at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 26th (Korean time). They defeated Korea in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals.
After finishing regular time tied 2-2, both teams were unable to determine a winner in overtime. The final winner was Indonesia. Korea was eliminated in the penalty shootout, losing 10-11.
This match was the 8th stage for the trip to Paris. The top 3rd place in the competition will advance directly to the Olympic finals, and the 4th place will qualify for an intercontinental playoff with Guinea in Africa. First, you had to advance to the semifinals to qualify for the finals.
However, Korea ended its journey in the quarterfinals, failing to advance to the Olympic finals for the 10th consecutive time. From the 19988 Seoul Olympics to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Korean soccer has been on the Olympic stage without fail, setting a world record. However, after experiencing a shocking defeat in Doha, Hwang Seon-hong’s glorious footsteps came to an end.
On the other hand, Indonesia wrote another history with coach Shin Tae-yong. They defeated Australia and Jordan in the group stage, advanced to the quarterfinals of the competition for the first time in history, and continued their sensational performance by defeating Korea. With just one more win, Indonesia can qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 68 years since the 1956 Melbourne Games.
It was a victory for Indonesia not only in terms of result but also performance. Indonesia went on the offensive from the start, gaining the upper hand in the power struggle with Korea. Raphael Straweek scored multiple goals in the first half alone, giving them the lead. The number of shots in the first half was also overwhelming by 7 to 1.
Korea’s hastily constructed three-back and poor pressing system were no match for Indonesia. Indonesia did not panic despite Korea’s forward pressure in the early part of the second half and aimed for an additional goal with a threatening counterattack. In fact, if the attackers’ decision-making power had been a little sharper, they could have achieved a huge victory.
After the game, Coach Shin Tae-yong said in an interview with Korean media, “My honest feeling is that if Korea advances for the 10th time in a row, it will become a record that will never be broken in the world. I also achieved 8 consecutive World Cup advancements at this stadium. Our Hwang Seon-hong “I wanted the director to make a record,” he said.
He continued, “I feel really sorry that I broke that record. It is not my dream for Indonesian soccer to participate in the World Cup if we advance to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers in the future. My last dream is to return to Korea and challenge again for the Korean national team. “He explained.
Meanwhile, coach Shin Tae-yong said, “I am sorry to the people of the Republic of Korea. I am truly sorry. The world of competition is cold. I am truly sorry for causing trouble to the people. However, I am working hard to promote national prestige in Indonesia.” / [email protected]
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