Hope There Is No Anticlimax After Fulfilling The Target In The U23 Asian Cup

JAKARTA Indonesia managed to advance to the knockout stages of the 2024 U23 Asian Cup. The name of coach Shin Tae-yong is back in the spotlight.

Rizky Ridho and his friends beat Jordan 4-1 in the last match of Group A at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Sunday (21/4/2024).

"First of all I am very happy that we qualified for the quarter-finals. I would like to express my great gratitude to the players. Today PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir, Minister of Youth and Sports [Dito Ariotedjo], they are here, supporting us. So I'm happy we did a good job on the field," said Shin Tae-yong after the match.

"I want to share this victory not only with players, but also with everyone in PSSI, all Indonesian fans too, in particular I thank the players who played very well today," added the South Korean coach.

Indonesia actually started this biennial tournament with unsatisfactory results. They lost 0-2 to Qatar in a controversial match at the Jassim in Hamad Stadium, April 15, 2024.

However, the Garuda Muda team managed to rise by silencing Australia 1-0 thanks to Komang Teguh's only goal at the end of the first half. The three points also opened the Indonesian chance to walk into the knockout stages.

In the last match, where the Red and White Team only needed a draw to qualify, they won a convincing victory over Jordan.

Marselino Ferdinand opened Indonesia's advantage when the game was running for 23 minutes through a penalty kick, then Witan Sulaeman doubled the score five minutes before halftime.

Marselino again listed his name on the scoreboard, plus Komang's goal in the second half which flanked Justin Hubner's own goal in the 79th minute.

With six points from three matches, Indonesia has the right to travel to the top eight as runners-up in Group A, only one point behind the host Qatar.

This is a historic victory, as Indonesia advanced to the knockout stages with the status of a debutant team in the U23 Asian Cup tournament.

Since this tournament was first held in 2013 in Oman, Indonesia has never qualified for the final round in the previous five editions.

Despite Indonesia's success in reaping a lot of praise, national football observer Rais Adnan hopes that the quasi-finals will not be anti-climactic.

"This is a proud achievement, especially seeing the players' games, you could say this is the best game, in a good organization, good passing accuracy, and sharpness are also good," Rais told VOI.

"It can be said that the national team's game is progressive, but hopefully this will not become anti-climactic. Hopefully in the future it can still show a spirit like this, play without a burden," he added.

The figure of Shin Tae-yong is said to have succeeded in changing the image of Indonesian football. Despite being criticized for his early training since January 2020, the man who was born on October 11, 1970, finally won the hearts of the national team supporters.

After successfully meeting the target set by PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir by bringing the national team through the last 16 of the Asian Cup and U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals, STY's long-term contract is in sight.

Seeing the performance of the national team under STY's leadership, it is undeniable that it is progressing. However, on the other hand, STY's achievements are still being questioned because he has not provided a trophy for Indonesia.

"Indeed, he deserves a contract because the progress of the team with STY," Rais added.

"But the reference for achievement varies depending on the events that are followed. It's just that in real terms it should be able to provide trophies. The gap until our target is only to pass this tournament and that. Trophy clearly has to be obtained as proof of STY with the national team," he said.