AFC U23 semi-finals

Having their goal cancelled due to VAR, Shin Tae-yong and his team lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals on the evening of April 29 despite being short of players.

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

The defeat means Indonesia will miss out on the chance to reach the final and become the first Southeast Asian team to qualify for the Olympics in the modern era. The archipelago nation can still do so if they win the third-place play-off on May 2. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan have once again proven their strength in the continental U23 arena, 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.

The throw-in attack could not help Indonesia win despite causing many difficulties for Uzbekistan. Photo: AFC

Entering the game as underdogs, Indonesia took the initiative to defend tightly and wait for opportunities in counter-attacks. Whenever they had the ball, they immediately deployed it to Witan Sulaeman so that this player could accelerate on the left wing. In such an unexpected attack, the Southeast Asian representative thought they would be awarded a penalty after Abdukodir Khusanov tackled Witan. However, after reviewing the VAR, the referee determined that the Uzbekistan midfielder had hit the ball.

In addition to counter-attacking, Indonesia tried to create a breakthrough from Pratama Arhan's long throw-ins, and almost succeeded. Especially in the 61st minute, after causing trouble with a long throw-in, Arhan crossed, causing goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov to punch the ball out of his hand. Taking advantage of that opportunity, Ramadhan Sananta passed the ball across for Muhammad Ferarri to shoot into the roof of the Uzbekistan net. Players, coaching staff including coach Shin Tae-yong and tens of thousands of Indonesian fans exploded at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium after this situation. However, after receiving a signal from the VAR room, the referee checked and discovered that Sananta was offside.

The cruel thing for Indonesia was that just four minutes later, Uzbekistan scored. Coach Timur Kapadze showed his ability to adjust personnel when two players he brought on in the second half combined to bring the opening goal. From the right wing, Mukhammadkodir Khamraliev crossed into the space between two Indonesian defenders, Khusayin Norchaev rushed in and volleyed the ball close to the goal, leaving goalkeeper Ernando Ari helpless.

The loss affected Indonesia's mentality, causing them to lose focus. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan continued to attack Ernando's goal. The Indonesian goalkeeper was rooted to the spot when Abbosbek Fayzullaev fired a 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 comfortable header hit the post.

The referee showed a red card and expelled Rizky Ridho. Photo: AFC

However, facing a strong opponent and being behind, Indonesia gradually revealed their immaturity. They began to create unnecessary collisions. From a malicious tackle on Jasurbek Jaloliddinov, defender Rizky Ridho paid the price with a direct red card. The decision was made by the referee after reviewing VAR, despite protests and ridicule from both Indonesian players and coaches.

In the following free kick, from about 30 meters away, Jaloliddinov forced Ernando to dive to block a cannon shot. Khusanov rushed in to head the ball back and once again hit the post. But this time, the ball bounced off the line, leaving Ernando and Arhan confused. The Indonesian goalkeeper tried to catch the ball again, but Arhan made a save, causing him to score an own goal.

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

Indonesia, seemingly exhausted from their quarter-final penalty shootout with South Korea, were left to play for the remaining minutes. The referee added a total of 26 minutes of added time, including 10 minutes in the first half and 16 in the second. Uzbekistan hit the Indonesian goal post once more, after a Norchaev header. This was the fifth time the West Asian side hit the crossbar or post in the match - statistics show that Indonesia were lucky not to lose by a bigger margin.

Uzbekistan's superiority is evident in the statistics. They had 62% possession and 28 shots, four of which were on target. Indonesia, meanwhile, only had four shots, none of which were on target. They also committed twice as many fouls (18 to 9).

Quang Huy

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