It's time for the "Young Garuda" to fly high

Indonesia is one step closer to inking gold. They will fight to reach the semifinals of the U-23 Asian Cup against South Korea.

AFC

Marselino Ferdinan, an Indonesian winger, celebrated his second goal against Jordan in the final match of Group A in the 2024 Asia U-23 Cup on Sunday (21/4/2024) at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.

The Indonesian U-23 team has the opportunity to write gold in the history of Indonesian football. They will challenge South Korea in the quarter-finals of the U-23 Asian Cup on Friday (26/4/2024) early morning WIB to maintain their hopes of appearing in the OlympicsParis 2024.

Indonesian football last appeared in the world's biggest sports event at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. At that time, Indonesia was strengthened by players who have now become legends, such as Ramang, Aang Witarsa, and Maulwi Saelan.

Just appearing in the quarter-finals is actually historic for Indonesia. However, if you want to repeat the achievements of Ramang and his friends, "Garuda Muda” must be able to get past South Korea first. As is known, U-23 Asian Cup is also an Olympic qualifying event. The top three teams immediately get tickets to Paris, while the fourth place will have a playoff match against representatives from the African zone, Guinea, which will be held in Paris, May 9 2024. If they are able to get past South Korea, Indonesia will meet the winner of the match. between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan to compete for the final place in the U-23 Asian Cup.

Also read: If you beat South Korea, the U-23 Indonesian National Team will appear in France

History is right before our eyes. However, as is the mantra of every coach, players should only focus on the match they are facing immediately, not other matches. As coach Shin Tae-yong has emphasized since taking charge of Indonesia, the players must be able to maintain focus, in addition to working hard and being disciplined.

The quarterfinal match will be filled with emotions for Shin. He will be facing his own country's team, which he also led to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

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Indonesia U-23 Coach Shin Tae-yong observed the performance of his players during the match against Qatar in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup on Monday (15/4/2024), at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Indonesia intends to rise up in the second match against Australia.

The match will also bring together two friendly coaches. Shin will face Hwang Sun-hong, who coaches the South Korean U-23 team. Looking at the record of the two coaches' meetings, Hwang is currently ahead.

Based on data from Transfermarkt, the two have met 12 times while coaching in the Korean League. Out of those 12 meetings, Shin's team lost five times and only won two, with the rest ending in a draw.

Also read: Nathan Returns, Indonesian U-23 Team Full Strength Against South Korea

However, if you look at his entire coaching career, Shin can be said to be more qualified, at least in terms of experience at international level. Shin is a former coach of the South Korean senior national team and brought the "Taegeuk Squad" to appear at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In that event, Shin recorded one of his best achievements as a coach, namely defeating a football giant world, Germany, with a score of 2-0 in the group stage.

Meanwhile, Hwang only became the caretaker coach of the South Korean national team after Juergen Klinsmann was fired after the 2023 Asian Cup. He has coached the South Korean U-23 team since 2021.

Indonesia has full strength when facing South Korea. All of Indonesia's best players are ready for Shin to choose in concocting his squad. The return of a player from the Dutch League, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, is the tonic injection that Indonesia really needs. Having had to return to the Netherlands because the initial agreement with the club could only strengthen Indonesia until the group stage, Nathan was allowed by his club, SC Heerenveen, to return to Qatar after lobbying from PSSI.

Nathan played an important role in Indonesia's midfield during the group matches. Although originally a defender, Nathan was able to shine in Indonesia's midfield, especially in the victories against Australia, 1-0, and Jordan, 4-1.

Not only that, striker Ramadhan Sananta who had to serve a playing ban due to a red card against Qatar is also now able to play. He can become an alternative for Rafael Struick upfront.

On paper, South Korea is better regarded due to their big name and global achievements. South Korea's men's football team ranks 23rd in FIFA as of April 4, 2024. Although they dropped one spot since being eliminated in the 2023 Asian Cup semifinals, this ranking is far superior to Indonesia, which has only recently climbed eight spots to 134th position.

AFC

The performance of Indonesian midfielder Nathan Tjoe-A-On in the Group A match of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup on Sunday (21/4/2024), at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar. Nathan returned to strengthen Indonesia after being allowed by his club, SC Heerenveen.

Even though he is the favorite, Hwang, as quoted by the South Korean media, Korean Times, does not want to underestimate Indonesia. "I was really surprised to see Coach Shin build a very good team with Indonesia. "They played very well and we have to really prepare if we want to beat them," said Hwang, who throughout the tournament often chatted and sent messages with Shin.

With more mature experience in major tournaments, it is expected that Shin will be able to craft the most appropriate formation and tactics to surprise South Korea and bring Garuda Muda to victory. Furthermore, Indonesian players must be able to execute those tactics perfectly according to Shin's desires on the field. Therefore, preparations for the match must be truly mature, as serious as South Korea's preparation to face Indonesia, as conveyed by Hwang.

Also read: Indonesia meets South Korea, Shin Tae-yong's wish finally comes true

They also have to play with high fighting spirit, tirelessness, and maintain focus throughout the match. The performance of Rizky Ridho and his friends in the group stage is expected to continue. With that, it is not impossible for Indonesia to continue its historic achievement by appearing at the Olympics, a feat that last occurred 58 years ago.

If you can get past South Korea, your ticket to the Olympics will be closer to your grasp. It's time for Young Garuda to fly high!