Shin Tae Yong said that the players were nervous before playing in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup semifinal match against Uzbekistan, on Monday (29/4) at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar.
“I think before starting the match, the players felt nervous. This affected our team so they couldn’t play well. Normally, we can play well like in the previous match,” said Shin Tae-yong in a press conference after the match.
In that match, Indonesia lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan, at the same time burying their dream of appearing in the U-23 Asian Cup final. The two goals scored by Uzbekistan came from Husain Norchaev in the 68th minute and Pratama Arhan’s own goal in the 86th minute. Indonesia also played with 10 people after Rizky Ridho was sent off by the referee in the 84th minute.
Three Indonesian U-23 national team players were given yellow cards by the Chinese referee, Shen Yinhao. Shin Tae Yong even received a yellow card, because he was deemed to have protested excessively.
Even though he lost to Uzbekistan, Shin Tae Yong still walked around the field to thank the Indonesian supporters.
Failed to pass for the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup final, Garuda Muda still has the chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, provided that Marselino Ferdinan and his friends are able to beat Iraq in the match for third place.
The match for third place in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup against Iraq will take place on Thursday (2/5) at 22.30 WIB at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar.
The 2024 U-23 Asian Cup final match pits Japan against Uzbekistan. In the semifinals, Japan eliminated Iraq with a score of 2-0. By qualifying for the final, Japan and Uzbekistan have also secured tickets to the 2024 Olympics.
Regarding Indonesia’s chances of going to the 2024 Olympics, the coach from South Korea remains optimistic. The coach who is familiarly called Shin Tae Yong also appreciated the struggle of the children under his care on the field when they played against Uzbekistan last night.
“I have to believe in myself as much as I believe in my players. We all know we have to believe we can qualify for the 2024 Olympics,” said Shin Tae Yong.
