Asian U23 semi-finals

With a goal disallowed by VAR, Shin Tae-yong's team lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals on April 29th, playing with ten men.

Goals: Norchaev 68', Arhan 86' (own goal). Red card: Ridho 84'.

This defeat meant Indonesia missed the chance to reach the final and become the first Southeast Asian team to qualify for the Olympics in the modern era. The Indonesian team could still achieve this if they win the third-place match on May 2nd. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan once again demonstrated their strength in the U23 Asian Championship by reaching the final for the third time in the last four editions. They will face the winner of the semi-final between Japan and Iraq.

Indonesia's throw-in attack, despite causing many difficulties for Uzbekistan, couldn't secure a victory. Photo: AFC

Entering the match as the underdog, Indonesia adopted a tight defensive strategy and relied on counter-attacks for opportunities. Whenever they had possession, they immediately passed the ball to Witan Sulaeman, who would sprint down the left wing. In one such unexpected attack, the Southeast Asian team seemed poised for a penalty after Abdukodir Khusanov tackled Witan. However, after reviewing VAR, the referee determined that the Uzbekistan defender had made contact with the ball.

Besides counter-attacks, Indonesia tried to create breakthroughs from long throw-ins by Pratama Arhan, and nearly succeeded. Particularly in the 61st minute, after causing disruption with a long throw-in, Arhan crossed the ball in, causing goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov to punch it away weakly. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ramadhan Sananta passed the ball across to Muhammad Ferarri, who fired it into the top corner of the net against Uzbekistan. The players, coaching staff including coach Shin Tae-yong, and tens of thousands of Indonesian fans erupted in cheers at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium after this incident. However, after receiving a signal from the VAR room, the referee checked and found Sananta offside.

Cruelly for Indonesia, just four minutes later, Uzbekistan scored. Coach Timur Kapadze demonstrated his tactical acumen when two players he brought on in the second half combined to score the opening goal. From the right wing, Mukhammadkodir Khamraliev crossed into the space between two Indonesian defenders, and Khusayin Norchaev volleyed from close range, leaving goalkeeper Ernando Ari helpless.

The conceded goal affected Indonesia's morale, causing them to lose focus. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan, riding on their momentum, continued to bombard Ernando's goal. The Indonesian goalkeeper was rooted to the spot when Abbosbek Fayzullaev unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, but luckily for him, the ball hit the post. Not long after, luck was on Indonesia's side again when Norchaev's header from a comfortable position struck the post.

The referee showed Rizky Ridho a red card, sending him off. Photo: AFC

However, facing a much stronger opponent and trailing, Indonesia gradually revealed their inexperience. They began creating unnecessary clashes. From a malicious tackle on Jasurbek Jaloliddinov, defender Rizky Ridho paid the price with a direct red card. The referee made the decision after reviewing VAR, despite protests and ridicule from Indonesian players and coaches.

Immediately after the subsequent free kick, from a distance of nearly 30 meters, Jaloliddinov forced Ernando to make a difficult save with a powerful shot. Khusanov rushed in to head the rebound, and once again the ball hit the post. But this time, the ball bounced off the goal line, causing confusion for both Ernando and Arhan. The Indonesian goalkeeper tried to catch the ball, but Arhan made a save, resulting in an own goal.

Norchaev celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal for Uzbekistan. Photo: AFC

Indonesia appeared exhausted after their penalty shootout in the quarter-finals against South Korea, and could only endure the pressure in the remaining minutes. The referee added a total of 26 minutes of injury time, including 10 minutes in the first half and 16 minutes in the second. Uzbekistan hit the post again after Norchaev's header. This was the fifth time the West Asian team had hit the crossbar or post in the match – a statistic that shows Indonesia was fortunate not to lose by a larger margin.

Uzbekistan's superiority was evident in the statistics. They controlled 62% of the ball possession, launched a total of 28 shots, four of which were on target. Meanwhile, Indonesia only had four shots, none of which were on target. They also committed twice as many fouls (18 compared to 9).

Quang Huy

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