Unexpected 'Shin Tae-yong' wins his first victory after defeating Saudi Arabia, a powerhouse in the Middle East
Unexpected 'Shin Tae-yong' wins his first victory after defeating Saudi Arabia, a powerhouse in the Middle East
Blog Article
"Shin Tae-yong Magic" is dominating Asia. Indonesia has created an extraordinary event to overwhelm Saudi Arabia, a powerhouse in the Middle East, on its home turf.
Indonesia, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the sixth Group C match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Gelora Bungcarno Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, at 9 p.m. on the 19th (Korea time).
As a result, Indonesia reported its first win in six matches in the third Asian qualifying round for the World Cup, and jumped to the third place in Group C with six points. Saudi Arabia fell to fourth place in the group, falling behind Indonesia in multiple points.
Indonesia wins Saudi Arabia by two goals
Indonesia created good opportunities with cheerful movements from the beginning of the first half. In the first minute of the first half, a cross from the right led to Ferdinand's shot, but he was unlucky to bounce the post. Struik's shot in the seventh minute of the first half was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Although it gave Saudi Arabia several crises, Indonesia took the lead in the 32nd minute of the first half. Orat Manguen gave up a left cutback and Ferdinand hit the net with a right-footed shot in front of the defender.
Indonesia did not miss the sharpness of its attack while maintaining a counterattack after the defense. Berdonk's left-footed shot hit the side net in the fifth minute of extra time in the first half and failed to score additional points, but Indonesia led 1-0 in the first half and achieved the desired result.
Saudi Arabia tried to make a difference by using Al-Hamadan instead of Qatani as soon as the start of the second half. Early in the second half, Al-Sahafi and Kanno hit Indonesia's goal with consecutive shots, but the score did not lead to a goal.
Rather, Indonesia sent a blow. Verdonk sent a pass from the side at the 11th minute of the second half, and Ferdinand blocked his shot from the defense wall. However, he controlled the ball that flowed out again, and scored an additional goal with a chip shot that went over Kolgifer's key.
Saudi Arabia, which was two goals behind, strongly converted to offense. Radif connected Al Jouwair's cross with a header in the 18th minute of the second half, but it missed the goal. Al Hamadan's header also missed the left side of the goal at the 21st minute of the second half.
Indonesia focused on maintaining its two-goal lead by lowering its defense line. One variable occurred right before the end of the game. Herbner was sent off at 44 minutes in the second half after receiving a second warning. Still, Indonesia was not swayed. In the end, Indonesia ended the game with a 2-0 win.
Coach Shin Tae-yong Makes History of Indonesian Football
Indonesia has not played in the finals since the 1938 World Cup in France. Indonesia was a marginal country in Asia. Even in Southeast Asia, the country was lagging far behind Thailand and Vietnam.
As "Park Hang-seo Magic" gained sensational popularity in Vietnam, Southeast Asian countries began to turn to Korean leaders. The Indonesian Football Association made an unconventional proposal to coach Shin Tae-yong, a Korean-born coach, to lead all U-23 and U-20 teams, including the A national team.
Coach Shin Tae-yong led the Korean national team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and produced a "Miracle of Kazan" by defeating Germany, which was ranked first in the FIFA rankings at the time, but unfortunately failed to advance to the round of 16. Coach Shin Tae-yong, who later retired from the Korean national team, surprised everyone by finally choosing to go to Indonesia.
Shin Tae-yong was the first to improve players' mental and physical weaknesses upon taking the helm. He then gradually put on his soccer philosophy. He also actively sought out players of Indonesian descent from all over Europe to boost his team's strength.
Following Indonesia's first advance to the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Cup, it also created the first semifinal myth at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup held in April. It also led Indonesia to advance to the third Asian qualifying round for this World Cup. Among the 18 countries that made it to the third qualifying round, Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian country. Indonesia's FIFA ranking, which was ranked 173rd when Shin Tae-yong took office in December 2019, has now jumped to 130th.
Indonesia had only two draws and three losses during five matches in the third Asian qualifying round. It was a tremendous achievement just to have two draws with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China, and beat Saudi Arabia, one of the strongest teams in Asia, to a miraculous victory. 스포츠토토
Nine of the 11 starters on the day were Indonesian players who were born in Europe. Manager Shin Tae-yong's bold decision, which elevated the team's quality to the next level, was a good result. Indonesia, which declared its first win in Group C, has shaken the landscape and has hope of advancing to the World Cup for the first time in 88 years.