Shin Tae-yong, the man who led Indonesia to their World Cup dream, highlights the grass problem.
The Indonesian national soccer team, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history. They defeated the Philippines 2-0 in their final Group F match at the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Nov. 11.
Indonesia opened the scoring in the 32nd minute through Tom Haye before Rizki Rido scored the winner 11 minutes into the second half to secure second place in the group. Kim Sang-sik’s Vietnam rallied in the closing stages, but Indonesia booked their ticket to the third qualifying round with 10 points, 홀덤사이트 which is awarded to the first and second place finishers in each group.
Shin’s miracle is an ongoing one. Since taking over as Indonesia’s head coach in December 2019, Shin has overseen both the national A team and the U-23 national team, and has produced countless success stories.
At the time of his arrival, Indonesia had ceded Southeast Asian supremacy to Vietnam and Thailand, but under Shin’s guidance, the team has risen to the top of the Southeast Asian pecking order and is now playing right alongside the Asian giants. It took 15 years for them to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, and they did it in a big way.
This year’s U-23 Asian Cup was their first time qualifying. The team reached the last four of the U-23 Asian Cup, which concluded in April, for the first time in its history, and has since expanded its global reach with a spot in the continental playoffs for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The streak of success has seen Indonesia’s FIFA ranking rise a whopping 40 spots since Shin took over. With a first-ever appearance in the third round of the World Cup, their ranking is set to rise further.
Indonesia is full of praise for the coach, who has brought them success. The players have shown their trust in him by presenting him with flowers and washing their hands. Shin is about to perform another miracle. After the Philippines game, he said, “We have no easy opponent in the third round. Indonesia is ranked 134th in the FIFA rankings. They are the weakest team in the third qualifying round,” but he also said, “I will try to fulfill my dream and Indonesia’s dream. I will not give up to reach the World Cup,” he said, refocusing his mind on a different goal with a different level of difficulty.
To that end, he also made one request. According to Indonesian media outlet KOMPAS, Shin was disappointed that the grass at the home stadium against the Philippines had been stripped to the point where it looked brown in parts.
“The grass was not in good condition. I don’t want concerts to be held on soccer fields as much as possible, but realistically, I hope there will be more soccer matches.” K-League player Asnawi also said, “The pitch was not in good condition. We were told it would be better than when we played Vietnam a few weeks ago, but it didn’t change much. The uneven grass is affecting the players.”
“The Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, where the Philippines match was played, also hosts concerts in addition to sporting events,” the local media reported, “the most recent being a concert by K-pop idols.”