The Indonesian National Team lost 1-2 to China in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers despite dominating the match at Qingdao Stadium, China, Tuesday (15/10/2024).
The first half of China vs Indonesia was tough. The Indonesian National Team managed to dominate possession of the ball in the first five minutes of the match, but China’s defense was still quite solid.
The first opportunity was obtained by Witan Sulaeman in the tenth minute. The Persija Jakarta player managed to enter China’s penalty box, unfortunately Witan fell at a crucial moment before finishing.
Until the 20th minute, possession of the ball still belonged to Indonesia. But Shin Tae Yong’s team experienced a deadlock. One minute later, the Indonesian National Team’s goal was conceded.
Starting from a free kick, the ball seemed to have been controlled by Shayne Pattynama after an aerial duel occurred. Shayne seemed to hope the ball would go out of the field, but one of the Chinese players managed to poke the ball and make it go into the field.
The ball then reached Behram Abduweli who freely kicked the ball in front of the Indonesian goal without being able to be anticipated by goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
The Indonesian national team then increased the tempo of the attack. At least the Garuda team had two golden opportunities, one of which was through a hard kick from Calvin Verdonk in the 40th minute.
In the 44th minute, Zhang Yuning managed to break into the Indonesian goal. Utilizing a through ball, Zhang successfully escaped the offside trap and coolly defeated Paes.
The score of 2-0 for China lasted until the end of the first half.
At the beginning of the second half, Shin Tae Yong brought in three players at once: Marselino Ferdinan, Thom Haye and Rizky Ridho. The three replaced Witan Sulaeman, Shayne Pattynama and Mees Hilgers.
The entry of the three new players made the Indonesian national team’s dominance continue in the second half. However, the Red and White team still had difficulty breaking down China’s defense.
The two-goal advantage made China more confident in defending. The team coached by Branko Ivankovic displayed a very good defense.
The goal for the Indonesian National Team was only created in the 86th minute. Starting from a long throw from Pratama Arhan, Thom Haye managed to control the ball in the penalty box. The Almere City player then released a low kick that penetrated China’s goal.
Haye’s goal raised the spirit of the Indonesian National Team. However, Struick and his friends had not managed to equalize in the final minutes.
The Indonesian National Team will next host Japan at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, on November 15.
Image source: detik.com
