The U23 Asian Cup is in full swing in Doha, Qatar. At present, the competition is in the 1/4 finals. The teams that have qualified for the quarter-finals are also making their final push for Olympic qualification. Just last night, the biggest dark horse of this tournament, Indonesia, broke the biggest upset of this tournament in the quarterfinals with South Korea, and the two sides fought 2-2 in regular time and extra time. However, after 12 rounds of penalty shootouts, the Indonesian team eliminated the Taiji Tigers South Korea and entered the semifinals of the U23 Asian Cup for the first time.
The unbeatable South Koreans finally collapsed in the stubborn battle of the Indonesian team, shocking the entire Asian football world. So why did Indonesian football suddenly rise, their strong overall offensive and defensive rhythm and tactical literacy, it is very surprising that this is still the impression of Southeast Asia's fish belly division that can be slaughtered?
Indeed, in recent years, Southeast Asian football has developed rapidly, and teams such as Thailand and Vietnam have achieved impressive results in the World Preliminary Tournament and the Asian Cup. Whether it is against the powers of East Asia or West Asia, it can basically be evenly matched. In particular, the Chinese men's football team has been able to crush their opponents with physical superiority for many years, but now with the continuous improvement of physical strength of these Southeast Asian teams. It is difficult for Chinese football to get any more bargains from Southeast Asian teams.
The performance of the Indonesian team in this U23 Asian Cup can be described as a smooth journey, showing the dark horse quality. Although in the first round of the group stage, the Indonesian team lost 0-2 to the host Qatar team after sending off one man, but Indonesia had an absolute advantage in possession throughout the game. In the second round, after fully adapting to the atmosphere of the Under-23 Asian Cup, they defeated Australia 1-0, who had the advantage of physical strength. The victory also fully boosted the team's fighting spirit and confidence. In the third round, they continued their good form, swept past West Asian powerhouse Jordan 4-1, and finally advanced to the quarterfinals of the U23 Asian Cup as group runners.
Facing a strong South Korean team that won all three games in the group stage, the Indonesian team did not have any fear. Indonesia dominated the first half to take a 2-1 lead, but the opponent was the extremely strong Taiji Tiger South Korea. In the second half, the opponent played one less person, and in the 84th minute, through a quick counterattack, Zheng Xiangbin received a pass from a teammate, and scored in the far corner with a single knife, and the score became a 2-2 draw! The 2-2 draw lasted until the end of extra time.
After a hard-fought penalty shootout, the Indonesian team finally won and advanced to the semi-finals of the U23 Asian Cup for the first time in team history. At the same time, they are one step away from qualifying for the Paris Olympics. And Indonesian football has officially announced its rise through this U23 Asian Cup!