World Cup hopes dashed

The loss to Japan means Indonesia have yet to win a single match in the 3rd qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in Asia. They have only had 3 draws before, along with a 1-2 loss to China in the previous round. Therefore, with only 3 points after 5 matches, coach Shin Tae-yong's team is at the bottom of Group C, making their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup fade away.

The Indonesian team (red shirt) despite having a team of naturalized players is still far behind the Japanese team.

Entering the match with the Japanese team, coach Shin Tae-yong did not hide his intention to put all his efforts into finding his first win. The Korean coach fielded the strongest squad with the best naturalized players of the Indonesian team. Only defender Rizky Ridho is a native.

However, powerless, the naturalized stars of the Indonesian team only followed the Japanese players of higher caliber, with a very varied and flexible playing style, easily controlling the match to score spectacular goals.

The enthusiastic support of home fans at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium helped the Indonesian players play on par with the Japanese team in the first few dozen minutes of the match. Before quickly collapsing when the opponent accelerated in the last 15 minutes of the first half. In the 35th minute, from a beautiful attack in the middle, the Japanese players opened the score 1-0 with a goal scored by defender Justin Hubner (Indonesia) in his own goal under pressure from striker Koki Ogawa.

Five minutes later, striker Takumi Minamino easily increased the score to 2-0 from Kaoru Mitoma's assist, helping the Japanese team create a huge advantage over the Indonesian team in just the first half.

In the second half, the Japanese team once again stifled all efforts of the opponent with an early attack to increase the score to 3-0 by player Hidemasa Morita in the 49th minute. Thereby, it was considered that the Indonesian team's hopes of turning the game around were quickly ended.

The Japanese team was too superior, easily winning against Indonesia

Conceding three quick goals, the Indonesian team then fought back to find a goal to reduce the score, partly thanks to the Japanese players reducing the pressure. However, all the efforts of the Indonesian players only stopped at a few opportunities to cause trouble for the opponent's defense, but could not convert into goals to find hope again.

Even from the 60th minute, the Japanese team took out their stars like Ritsu Doan, Kaoru Mitoma and even Takumi Minamino before that, the Indonesian team could not do anything more against an opponent that was too strong and too evenly matched in terms of force. Not to mention in the 69th minute, the substitute player Sugawara Yukinari took advantage of the loose Indonesian defense to increase the score to 4-0.

The Indonesian team therefore had to accept another defeat, making the chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup too fragile and perhaps fading away. Meanwhile, the Japanese team maintained an unbeaten record, topping Group C with 13 points after 5 matches including 4 wins and 1 draw, 7 points ahead of the teams behind including Australia, Saudi Arabia and China. It is considered that they have secured a direct spot to the 2026 World Cup in Asia.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dan-sao-nhap-tich-indonesia-bat-luc-hoan-toan-truoc-nhat-ban-hy-vong-world-cup-tat-ngam-185241115205724033.htm