The South Korean U-17 football team, aiming to reclaim the Asian title for the first time in 23 years, stumbled significantly right from the start of the tournament with a shocking defeat in their opening match. The unexpected loss to Indonesia is considered to have implications beyond just the game result.

The South Korean U-17 national team, led by coach Baek Ki-tae, lost 1-0 to Indonesia in the first match of Group C at the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, held at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the 5th (Korean time).

The situation has become precarious, making it difficult to guarantee advancement to the U-17 World Cup. Although in the same group as Indonesia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, the team is currently in 3rd place and facing elimination ahead of the second group match. Yemen's victory over Afghanistan, 2-0, has complicated matters, and South Korea must secure a win against Afghanistan on the 8th.

On that day, South Korea employed a 4-3-3 formation, with Kim Ji-hyeok, Jung Hee-jung, and Oh Ha-ram leading the attack, while Kim Ye-gun, Park Byeong-chan, and Jin Geon-young formed the midfield. The defense consisted of Kim Min-chan, So Yun-woo, Koo Hyun-bin, and Lim Ye-chan, with Park Do-hoon guarding the goal. However, the overall game operation relied heavily on monotonous individual skills, and they failed to capitalize on several chances.

The deciding moment came in the stoppage time of the second half, when a handball foul by So Yun-woo resulted in a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Park Do-hoon saved the initial shot, but Evandra Florasta capitalized on the rebound to score the winning goal.

South Korea attempted a total of 21 shots, but only managed 3 on target. In contrast, Indonesia showcased much higher efficiency with 5 shots, securing 3 points. Despite overwhelming the number of attempts, a lack of finishing ability ultimately cost South Korea.

What is even more shocking is that this marks the first time in the history of the U-17 national team that South Korea has lost to Indonesia. Until now, South Korea had maintained an absolute advantage with 2 wins and 1 draw in three prior encounters.

In terms of objective strength, South Korea was anticipated to advance smoothly from Group C, which includes Indonesia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, but they received a critical blow right from the first match, now sitting in 3rd place (with 0 points).

This tournament, which serves as the qualifying round for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in Qatar in November, grants direct entry to the finals if they advance from the group stage. However, following this loss, South Korea now faces the risk of being eliminated at the group stage.

South Korean football is currently experiencing a series of poor performances, from the senior national team down to the age group teams. The U-23 team was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing to Indonesia in last month's Paris Olympics qualifiers, marking a humiliating failure to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 40 years. Additionally, the U-22 team lost 0-1 in a friendly match against China, indicating an overall decline in competitiveness.

[OSEN]