No chance to get a direct ticket, still fighting for the 4th qualifying round
With the Australian team beating Japan 1-0 in the early match on June 5, the Indonesian team has officially lost the chance to win a ticket directly to the 2026 World Cup. Now, the goal of coach Patrick Kluivert and his team is to finish the group stage in 3rd or 4th place - a position that means participating in the 4th qualifying round. Although playing at home at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, the Indonesian team is expected to face many difficulties when their opponent is China, the second-to-last team and also very thirsty for points. Moreover, in the first leg (taking place in October 2024), the Chinese team also made Indonesia's naturalized stars "regret" with a dramatic 2-1 victory.
The Indonesian team (red shirts) faced many difficulties against the Chinese team.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Determined to win 3 points, the Indonesian team pushed up their attack formation after the opening whistle. The archipelago team held the ball for nearly 60% of the time, implementing a variety of attacking moves. However, in the first half, the home team was stuck in front of the dense, well-organized defense of the Chinese team. Coach Patrick Kluivert's students shot 6 times - twice as many as the Chinese team, but all of them were inaccurate.
It was not until the 29th minute that the Indonesian team had their first shot on target. The owner of this shot was one of the most expected stars on the attack line, Ole Romeny. However, his kick was too weak and could not trouble goalkeeper Wang Dalei.
Indonesia scored a precious goal from the penalty spot
As the match progressed, the Indonesian team became more and more stuck. However, in the 43rd minute, a surprising turning point came when the referee consulted VAR and awarded the Indonesian team a penalty. Ole Romeny was given the opportunity and he made no mistake in defeating goalkeeper Wang Dalei, helping Indonesia lead 1-0 after the first half.
Indonesia team took the lead in the first half thanks to a goal from the penalty spot
PHOTO: REUTERS
With nothing to lose, the Chinese team pushed up their formation and played an open game with Indonesia in the second half. However, coach Branko Ivanković's players did not have many options, relying mainly on crosses from the wings. Throughout the second half, the Chinese team only had 2 more shots (1 on target) and could not trouble Indonesian goalkeeper Emil Audero.
On the opposite side, the Indonesian team chose a defensive counter-attacking style. Every time they stole the ball, the Indonesian team deployed at full speed, causing the Chinese team's goal to shake. If it weren't for the excellence of goalkeeper Wang Dalei, the Chinese team's net could have shaken a second time after kicks from Kevin Diks or Ramadhan Sananta.
The Chinese team pushed up their formation in the second half but were unable to penetrate the Indonesian net (red shirt).
PHOTO: REUTERS
In the end, the Indonesian team defeated the Chinese team 1-0. This victory helped coach Patrick Kluivert and his team gain 12 points after 9 matches, temporarily rising to 3rd place. Meanwhile, the loss to Indonesia left the Chinese team with only 6 points after 9 matches. The country of a billion people fell to the bottom of Group C and officially no longer has the chance to participate in the 4th qualifying round.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-thua-cay-dang-tren-cham-phat-den-indonesia-nuoi-hy-vong-mong-manh-den-world-cup-2026-185250605225332753.htm
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