Director Hwang Seon-hong (right) and Shin Tae-yong. Provided by Korea Football AssociationIt was coach Shin Tae-yong who prevented Korea from qualifying for its 10th consecutive Olympics.
Korea met with Indonesia. “As if by a twist of fate, we met in the quarterfinals. In my heart, I really wanted to avoid Korea. It’s my first time experiencing something like this, so honestly, it’s very difficult,” said coach Shin Tae-yong, who sighed, but there was no concession in the world of competition.
The Korean Olympic soccer team, led by coach Hwang Seon-hong, bowed to Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup held at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 26th (Korean time). .
After a 120-minute battle including overtime, which ended with a score of 2 to 2, they lost 10 to 11 in a penalty shootout after a close battle that went all the way to the 12th kicker.
As a result, Korean soccer’s ability to advance to the Olympic finals for the 10th consecutive time was thwarted.
It was blocked by the ‘Shin Tae-yong Magic’ that captivated Indonesia. In terms of objective power, Korea ranks first. However, as coach Hwang Seon-hong said, “Indonesia’s strength is coach Shin Tae-yong,” they were defeated by the mercenary skills of coach Shin Tae-yong, who has experience as a coach at the Olympics and World Cup.
There was a variable in the departure of Lee Young-jun (Gimcheon Managing Director), but overall, they lost to Indonesia. Ball possession was only 47%, and a whopping 21 shots (5 effective) were allowed. Korea has 8 shots (2 effective).
Although it was difficult to reach a penalty shootout, coach Shin Tae-yong’s mercenary skills shone even in the penalty shootout. Due to Lee Young-jun’s sending off, goalkeeper Baek Jong-beom (FC Seoul) took over as the number 10 kicker. Coach Shin Tae-yong continued the game by assigning the number 10 kicker to the goalkeeper rather than a field player.
Coach Shin Tae-yong, who defeated Korea, set another record.
They previously advanced to the quarterfinals of the U-23 Asian Cup for the first time by defeating Australia and Jordan in the group stage, and have now advanced to the semifinals. Depending on the results, the team may advance to the Olympic finals for the first time in 68 years since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Indonesian soccer has grown rapidly since coach Shin Tae-yong took office in 2019. They finished second in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup and advanced to the Asian Cup finals. The FIFA rankings also jumped from 173rd to 134th, establishing itself as a dark horse in Asian soccer.
The Indonesian Football Association also moved quickly. On the 25th, before the Korean War, a contract renewal was signed with coach Shin Tae-yong until 2027.
