Indonesia will advance to the quarterfinals if it ties with Jordan. Indonesia is set to make a new history.
The Indonesian U-23 national soccer team, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, will face Jordan in the third Group A match of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup and the final Asian qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 0:30 p.m. on the 22nd.
It is Indonesia that can afford to afford it. Currently, Indonesia is ranking second in Group A with three points and Jordan is ranking third with one point. Even if they earn just one point from a tie, they will advance to the quarterfinals regardless of the outcome of Australia's match. As a competition hosted by AFC is decided by the winner after the winner, Indonesia, which had the win against Australia, is advantageous.
Nevertheless, we must not let our guard down. Jordan is a team that is comparable to Australia's. It drew with Australia in the first group match, and maintained tight balance with Qatar in the second group match, before losing the match by dedicating the winning goal to the team that was controversial over its decision right before the end of the match.
It is time for manager Shin Tae-yong to demonstrate his "Shin Tae-yong Magic" once again.
Indonesia started the tournament in a difficult situation after losing to Qatar, which was its first group match. At that time, Indonesia had a tough game, suffering from referees making decisions in favor of Qatar throughout the match. After the match, coach Shin Tae-yong openly criticized the referee and the AFC.
In addition, Indonesia had a power leak as two key players were sent off in the match against Qatar. The fact that Australia, the opponent of the second round, was one of the favorites also worked against Indonesia.
However, when the lid was opened, it was completely different from what was expected. Despite the absence of two key players, Indonesia showed systematic pressure and counterattack against the Asian giant Australia to win 1-0. It was Shin Tae-yong's magic.
The defeat of Jordan in the match between Qatar and Jordan on the same day opened Indonesia's possibility of advancing to the quarterfinals. Indonesia will advance to the quarterfinals if it achieves more than a draw against Jordan.
Indonesia is preparing to make a new history following the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. At the 2023 Asian Cup, Indonesia made a splash by advancing to the round of 16 at the Asian Cup for the first time in soccer history. Thanks to its confidence, Indonesia will try to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in this year's Asian Cup.
"Indonesia has never made it to the Olympic finals," Shin Tae-yong said. "That's how history is made. I'm going to give it a try," and said Indonesia's goal at this year's event is to qualify for the Olympic finals, not the quarterfinals or semifinals.
If Indonesia advances to the quarterfinals, there is a possibility that it will meet with Korea. This is because Indonesia is in Group A and Korea is in Group B. As Qatar is confirmed to advance to the quarterfinals as No. 1 in Group A, a showdown will take place only when Indonesia secures the second place in the group and Korea maintains the No. 1 position in the group.
Coach Shin Tae-yong said at a press conference after his victory over Australia, "I'm not going to decide who I'm going to meet. I'm more comfortable with meeting Japan than Korea," hinting that he is looking at the quarterfinals.
BY: 스포츠토토핫