Text: Zhao Gongzi
Editor|Zhao Gongzi
Sources: All of the information stated in this article is based on reliable sources, and is detailed at the end of the article
Preface
The chase match in the Asian Cup made the fans addicted, and no one knew who would win the championship until the last minute.
In the knockout match of the U23 Asian Cup on April 26, Beijing time, South Korea vs. Indonesia began with a whistle, and the two sides who tried their best were also chasing me in the score, which was very scorching.
Unexpectedly, the South Korean team, which has always been at the top of the world rankings, was upset and eliminated in the showdown with the Indonesian team that participated for the first time.
You must know that this competition is directly related to whether the team can participate in the Paris Olympics, and this time Indonesia can be said to have made history.
So, how did the two teams perform on the field, and how did Indonesia become the biggest "dark horse" in this tournament step by step?
The biggest "dark horse" of this event is Indonesia
As the world's No. 23 South Korean team, they have never really been afraid of anyone on the green field of football, but this year's U23 Asian Cup is different.
In the first four U23 Asian Cups, the South Korean team was able to successfully reach the top four in each session, and even won a championship and a runner-up, which is not an excellent record.
In the last Asian Cup, the South Korean team did not advance to the top four, and in this Asian Cup, the South Korean team is ashamed of it, and it can be said that the coaches and players are holding back their energy.
At the beginning of the tournament, the South Korean team took the lead, reaching the top eight with three consecutive wins, and they were the undisputed group winners.
But this time, it was against the Indonesian team, which also advanced all the way, and the Indonesian team, which participated in such an event for the first time, is far from the South Korean team in the world ranking.
Originally, fans thought that this was a game with no suspense and no highlights, but is this really the case?
You must know that before coming to this point, the Indonesian team defeated Australia and Jordan in succession and ranked second in the group, which gave the Indonesian team the capital to fight with the South Korean team.
Along the way, the strong qualification of the Indonesian team has given them the title of "biggest dark horse", and it is really difficult to say who will die in this game.
At the beginning of the game, the old powerhouse South Korea quickly seized the advantage of possession, and in the 7th minute, the South Korean team attacked all the way from the left side.
Li Kangxi made a beautiful low shot from the top of the arc, but after scoring the goal, the decision was invalidated, and it turned out that the eager Li Kangxi was offside, so the goal was invalidated.
The Indonesian team also seized this opportunity, not afraid of the continuous offensive of the South Korean team, and took the initiative to play a fast attack in the defensive battle of iron buckets.
Just after 14 minutes of the game, Indonesia scored first and scored effectively to take the lead, and then threw the ball vigorously, causing great threat and pressure on the South Korean team.
However, the South Korean team did not waste their reputation, and after a quick return to defense, they did not dare to slack off on Indonesia and began to take the game seriously.
However, the South Korean team, which was one point behind at the beginning, has been on the defensive, and did not shoot a single shot in the first half hour of the game.
As the "dark horse" of the field, the Indonesian team became more and more courageous, playing an unusually wonderful interspersed match in the penalty area, but it was a pity that Fernandi was stopped by the South Korean goalkeeper at the goal.
Although the South Korean team also seized this opportunity to overtake and played a strong counter-attack, the two defenders in the penalty area still made mistakes in coordination.
At the end of the half, Indonesia had more than half of the possession and had three of their seven shots on target, with the number of passes and success rate above South Korea.
In terms of stats and actual scores, Indonesia have the advantage across the board, with South Korea having only one shot on goal and the only goal being an own goal by Indonesia.
At the beginning of the second half, South Korea continued to be pressed by the Indonesian team, but it was also able to withstand the pressure and caused a lot of danger to Indonesia.
In the 69th minute, Lee Yong-jun was sent off by the referee for a stampede foul, and South Korea was still one point behind due to the lack of players.
However, in the later stage, Zhong Hongyin made a long pass, accurately sent Zheng Xiangbin to take the ball straight into the penalty area, pushed the corner to score, and equalized the score, which was not easy.
In extra-time, the two sides were still in a fierce chase, and although neither side scored, Rifai hit the penalty spot to give Indonesia the final victory.
With a total score of 13:12, South Korea was successfully eliminated to enter the semi-finals, and Indonesia deserved to be the biggest "dark horse" in this event, eliminating the South Korean team by one point.
After the defeat in this battle, the South Korean team also completely missed this Olympics, in fact, this is not the first time that the South Korean team has lost.
South Korea, a traditional powerhouse, has lost one after another
In February this year, in the first semi-final of the Qatar Men's Asian Cup, the South Korean team, which is the favorite to win the championship, met the "shame of career" Jordan team.
According to a report by Chinanews.com on February 7, in the semifinals of the Asian Cup in Qatar, the South Korean team only had 7 shots on goal, and none of them were on target.
The statistics after the game showed that the Jordan team had a full 17 shots on goal, of which 7 were on target, which is unacceptable to the South Korean people.
You must know that the Jordanian team is only 87th in the world and 13th in Asia, even lower than the national football ranking, which is an out-and-out "experience package".
But it was such a team that made it all the way to the semi-finals and beat South Korea 2-0, just like a schoolboy winning a college student match.
In response to the defeat of this game, Yonhap News Agency issued an article saying: The South Korean team is talented but disoriented, and the team is "out of the game".
In the eyes of the South Korean media, the performance of the South Korean team in the Asian Cup in Qatar can be described as "incredible", because almost all of them are turned against the wind.
Therefore, the South Korean team also won the title of "zombie football", until after losing to the Jordan team, the Korean media also connotated: This zombie is finally resting in peace.
And it is not only the Korean media and netizens who are disappointed in this battle, but even the stars of the South Korean team are also depressed, and when interviewed, Son Xingmin was very depressed.
Image source: Screenshot of the website of "Seoul Sports".
Facing the camera, Son Heung-min first apologized to the fans, but also asked not to criticize the other players of the team, and even said whether he could continue to play for the team.
When asked about the next World Cup, Son said he might have to think about his future path, and coach Klinsmann might not consider him either.
Image source: Screenshot of the website of "Seoul Sports".
Of course, this answer came as a surprise to everyone, but Seoul Sports also interviewed South Korean player Lee Gang-in, who said that this is not the time to criticize the team or the players.
When it comes to South Korea's football team, Lee Gang-in also admitted that changes and breakthroughs need to be made in many aspects.
epilogue
With the elimination of South Korea in the U23 Asian Cup, Indonesia successfully entered the semi-finals, and now there are two teams in the semi-finals, and Indonesia may meet Japan.
However, it is important to know that the U23 has a place to qualify for the Paris Olympics, and Indonesia has already entered the Paris Olympics after reaching the semi-finals.
As the "biggest dark horse" of this competition, I hope that Indonesia can continue to maintain and achieve better results.
Sources of information:
Refer to ZAKER's report on April 26, 2024 about "13-12! South Korea upset and missed the Olympics! Indonesia entered the semifinals of the U23 Asian Cup for the first time and beat China's Olympic Games".
Refer to China Industry Network on April 25, 2024, such as the report on "The top 8 of the U23 Asian Cup produced the Indonesian team as the biggest dark horse".
Refer to China News Network on February 7, 2024 on "South Korea's Asian Cup upset, Son Xingmin: Not sure if he can still play for the national team".
Refer to the report on the global network on February 7, 2024 about "South Korea was kicked out of the Asian Cup by Jordan, and the Korean media sighed: talented but disoriented, shame!".
Screenshot from ZAKER exclusive
Screenshot from China Industry Network
Screenshot from China News Network
Screenshot from Huanqiu.com