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Byeon Jun-soo of Korea attempts a header during a quarterfinal match against Indonesia in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, on April 26, 2024 (local time). (courtesy of Korea Football Association)

Giving away the first goal of the game, the star player and coach getting ejected from the pitch, poor decision-making, and bad luck to boot. An agonizing defeat in the penalty shootout ended South Korea’s dreams of qualifying for their 10th consecutive Olympics, meaning Korea’s men’s team will not be at the games for the first time in 40 years. 
 
Helmed by coach Hwang Sun-hong, the Korean national team suffered a shock defeat to Indonesia, coached by Shin Tae-yong, in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup 2024 at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Friday (Korean Time).
 
After 90 minutes, the two countries were tied 2-2. Despite valiantly fighting for the win in extra time, South Korea was unable to emerge triumphant. In the end, South Korea had to bow out after losing 10-11 in the penalty shootout.
 
The loss cost South Korea its ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics. The teams who snatch first, second, and third places qualify for the Olympics, while the team in fourth place will go through an intercontinental playoff.
 
South Korea’s failure to reach the semifinals means they will not be competing at the Olympics, bringing the end to their hopes of qualifying for the Olympics for the 10th consecutive time since the Seoul 1988 Olympics.
 
South Korea suffered its first-ever loss against Indonesia, marking their first loss after five wins. The ferociousness of the Indonesian team shows how much it has grown under coach Shin Tae-yong. The magic of Shin’s luck has worked once again.
 
Hwang started Cho Hyun-taek (Gimcheon), Lee Kang-hee (Gyeongnam) and Byeon Jun-soo (Gwangju) in the back three, and Eom Ji-sung (Gwangju), Kang Seong-jin (Seoul) and Hong Si-hoo (Incheon) in the forward line. The left wing-backs and midfielders were Lee Tae-seok (Seoul), Hwang Jae-won (Daegu), Baek Sang-hoon (Seoul) and Kim Dong-jin (Pohang), and Baek Jong-bum (Seoul) was goalkeeper.
 
Hwang was unable to effectively counter Indonesia’s strategy in the first half, which involved the country going all out against their opponent. South Korea’s misfortune kicked off in the ninth minute of the game when Lee Kang-hee’s lightning mid-range shot landed firmly into the net, only to be disallowed after a video assistant referee confirmed that a fellow teammate had been offside.
 
Indonesia took the window for an aggressive offense, which led to South Korea losing the opening goal of the game to them in the 15th minute when Rafael Struick sunk a goal from a mid-range kick. The ball, which had been kicked from relatively afar, plummeted into the top corner of the goal, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
 
South Korea seemed to regain their footing in the 45th minute after bringing the match to a tie when Indonesia was charged with an own goal. Eom Ji-sung headed a cross from a teammate, the ball hit an Indonesian player’s head and soared into the back of the net.
 
However, in the extra time given in the first half, the defense’s sloppy response allowed Struick to score another goal.

Hong Yun-sang of Korea breaks through Indonesian defenders during a quarterfinals match during a quarterfinals match in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, on April 26, 2024 (local time). (courtesy of Korea Football Association)

 
Hwang reorganized the team in the second half by bringing Lee Young-jun (Gimcheon), Jeong Sang-bin (Minnesota), and Kang Sang-yoon (Suwon FC) to the pitch. However, Lee Young-jun, the star of this tournament with three goals under his belt, faced problems in the 23rd minute when he stepped on an opposing defender’s ankle while battling for the ball.
 
While the referee initially only gave him a warning, a lengthy video review resulted in Lee receiving a red card. This marked the start of South Korea’s nightmare.
 
From that point forward, South Korea was outnumbered.
 
Luckily, in the 39th minute of the second half, Jeong Sang-bin brought the match to a tie after a brilliant goal, sending the game into extra time. However, bad luck struck again when coach Hwang was sent off the pitch.
 
Exhausted from a grueling game, it was impossible for the team to play as aggressively as they needed in extra time. They tried to make a comeback by focusing on defense in a back-five formation, but proved to be physically sapped.
 
The game was drawn out to the penalty shootout, but once again, luck was not on South Korea’s side. South Korea’s first five kickers all scored, and Baek Jong-bum blocked the fifth opposition kicker’s goal. However, the save was nullified after VAR ruled that both his feet were off the end line.
 
After a drawn-out battle that saw 12 kickers, Lee Kang-hee’s slip of the foot forced the South Korean team to accept their shock defeat. 

Meanwhile, Japan pulled off a 4-2 quarterfinal win over Qatar in extra time, securing its place in the semifinals. 

By Kim Chang-keum, senior staff writer

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