Host U17 Indonesia continued to surprise when they held U17 Panama to a draw in the second match of the 2023 U17 World Cup. The team from the archipelago has a chance to advance to the group stage.
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| The match between U17 Indonesia and U17 Ecuador at the 2023 U17 World Cup. (Source: Xinhua) |
After unexpectedly drawing with U17 Ecuador in the opening match of the U17 World Cup, U17 Indonesia faced U17 Panama in the second match. Just like the previous match, the team from the archipelago was rated lower than its opponent.
However, U17 Indonesia showed a resilient fighting spirit and held their opponents to a 1-1 draw. With this result, U17 Indonesia ranked 3rd in Group A with two points, two points behind U17 Ecuador and one point behind U17 Morocco.
With the top two teams and the four best third-placed teams qualifying for the next round, Indonesia U17s have a good chance of making it past the group stage. They need to make sure they don't lose to Morocco U17s in the final match and hope Panama U17s don't beat Ecuador U17s.
Entering this match, U17 Indonesia actively played defensively against their opponent from CONCACAF. U17 Panama had many attacks on the home team. However, they could not overcome the defense of U17 Indonesia.
In the last minute of the first half, U17 Panama unexpectedly scored a goal. The home team's goalkeeper made a mistake when he passed the ball straight to Oldemar Castillo. This player calmly dribbled past two U17 Indonesia players, before scoring the opening goal.
However, the spirit of coach Bima Sakti's team is commendable. They proactively attacked at the beginning of the second half. In the 54th minute, Arkhan Purwanto Kaka scored against U17 Panama, leveling the score at 1-1.
In the following minutes, U17 Indonesia took the initiative to play defense. In the 68th minute, Kaka even had a chance to increase the score to 2-1 for the home team but failed. However, U17 Indonesia kept the net intact.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
In the final round, U17 Indonesia will face U17 Morocco on November 16. If they pass the group stage, U17 Indonesia will make history for Southeast Asian football by becoming the first team to pass the group stage at the U17 World Cup.
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| Group A standings of the 2023 U17 World Cup. (Source: Asean Football) |
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