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In the early morning of April 26, the South Korean Olympic team and the Indonesian Olympic team launched a thrilling showdown for the semi-finals of the 2024 U23 Asian Cup and the more precious ticket to the Paris Olympic Games. But this seemingly disparity in strength has once again refreshed people's cognition. Taiji Tiger is no longer fierce?
On this much-anticipated night, the South Korean Olympic team, a perennial winning team in Asian football, with the pride and expectation of competing in the Olympics for many years, was defeated by the seemingly inconspicuous Indonesian Olympic team with a narrow margin of 12:13 in the penalty shootout.
This is the first time in nearly 40 years that South Korean football has missed the Olympic stage, and such an unpopular night has subverted the original assumptions of many fans, and at the same time changed the course of Asian football history.
1. Unpopular night: The dream of the South Korean National Olympics was broken
When the "Taiji Tigers" South Korean Olympic team stepped on the turf of the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, they were burdened with decades of glory and expectations from Korean football.
As a traditional powerhouse in Asian football, the Korean Olympic Games have repeatedly achieved great results in international competitions, especially in the Olympic Games, where they are not only regular participants for nine consecutive years, but also won bronze medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Against the seemingly inferior Indonesian Olympic team, the South Korean team failed to continue its usual solid performance.
In regular time, the two sides went back and forth with equal offensive and defensive strength, but failed to decide the winner, so the game was dragged into a penalty shootout. In a contest that required both mental and technical attention, Indonesia showed composure and tenacity that far exceeded expectations, while South Korea made mistakes at crucial moments and lost 12-13 on aggregate.
2. The Rise of Indonesia: From a Historical Trough to the Peak of Glory
Compared with the loss of South Korea's Olympic team, the Indonesian Olympic team wrote a new glorious chapter in the history of national football in this game. This story has to start from 2015, when the Indonesian team was swept 4-0 by South Korea in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers and withdrew from the finals. In just nine years, this team, which was once regarded as the underdog of Asian football, has been tempered and achieved a transformation.
The Indonesian Olympic team fully demonstrated excellent tactical level and teamwork ability, fearless in the face of strong opponents, extremely tight in defense, and also had a swift counterattack performance in attack.
Their stunning performance in the penalty shoot-out showed strong mental quality and accurate shooting skills, defeating South Korea 11-10, breaking into the semi-finals of the Under-23 Asian Cup in history, and also sealing the qualification for the Paris Olympics.
3. Olympic qualification battle: The Chinese team also missed Paris
Seeing this, readers and friends may be about to ask, South Korea did not enter the semi-finals, where is our Chinese team? Hehe! Xiaobian tells you that our Chinese team did not qualify for the group stage, and after the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chinese men's football was once again absent from the Olympic stage.
IV. Conclusion: The Reincarnation of History and the Enlightenment of the Future
The unexpected defeat of the South Korean Olympic team not only broke their record of consecutive Olympic participation, but also triggered a deep reflection on the future development of Korean football. The rise of the Indonesian Olympic team has set an inspirational example for football in Asia and even in the world.
Epilogue: Responses and Prospects
When the South Korean Olympic team left the stadium and the Indonesian Olympic team celebrated the victory, for those fans who stayed up late in front of the TV or mobile phone screen to watch the game, they may remember their love for football when they were young, their expectations for the national team, and even the various setbacks and counterattacks in life. The loss of the South Korean team and the rise of the Indonesian team undoubtedly provide them with another vivid example of the impermanence of life and survival in the face of adversity.
In the days to come, how will South Korean football adjust its strategy and regain its strength? How will Indonesian football continue to write a new chapter in the Olympic Games by taking advantage of the victory? How should the Chinese Olympic team learn from the painful experience and find a way to rejuvenation?
The answers to these questions will be revealed over time. But in any case, this underdog battle has been deeply imprinted on the long history of Asian football, and has become an eternal beacon that inspires those who come after to move forward. For everyone who loves and pays attention to football, no matter how old or young, they will remember this night, remember the dream break moment of the South Korean Olympic team, remember the miracle night of the Indonesian Olympic team, and remember the eternal truth on the green field: the world of football is always full of unknowns and always worth looking forward to.
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