Shin Tae-yong will try to win his first victory by using "the weakest" China as a scapegoat.
Team Indonesia will play its fourth Group C match against China at 9 p.m. on Tuesday for the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. If the team catches China in the away game, it could give a green light to its advance to the World Cup finals.
In terms of objective performance, China is ahead of Indonesia. China ranks 91st in the FIFA rankings, which is 38 places higher than Indonesia (129th). However, the two teams' performances in the third qualifying round are quite different.스포츠토토
While preparing for the World Cup qualifying round, coach Shin Tae-yong actively naturalized dual-national players who are playing in Europe. In response, about half of the national team's roster for October was made up of European players.
Indonesia did not let go of its hopes of reaching the World Cup finals with stronger power. Photo shows the Indonesian crowd cheering against Bahrain on the 11th./Picture = Reuters
His strong performance demonstrated his capability. The team had a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia, a "traditional powerhouse" in Asia. Since then, the team has also tied with Australia, which is physically pushing ahead with Asian teams, 0-0. In the third away match, the team allowed an equalizer in the second half extra time, only to earn a point with a score of 2-2.
Indonesia, which has recorded three draws, has settled in fifth place in Group C after Japan (nine points), Australia (four points), Saudi Arabia (four points), and Bahrain (four points).
In the third preliminary round, the first and second place finishers in each group win a berth to the World Cup finals. Group C is fiercely competing for second place amid Japan's dominance. They all have the same score point, but their rankings are divided based on the difference in goal difference. As Indonesia is only one point behind second-ranked Australia, it is a point that it deserves a challenge.
However, in order for Indonesia to realize its dream, it must win and acquire three points. Fortunately, the opponent team is China, the weakest team in the group.
China barely made it to the third qualifying round even after losing to South Korea twice in the last two. However, its poor performance in the third qualifying round was unmistakable.
It suffered a humiliating 0-7 defeat in its first match against Japan. In the subsequent matches between Saudi Arabia and Australia, the team lost 1-2 and 1-3, respectively. Analysts say that the team's completeness is poor, as it conceded 12 goals in three games.