The South Korea U-17 soccer team, aiming to reclaim the Asian title for the first time in 23 years, suffered a shocking defeat from the very first match of the tournament, stumbling at the starting line and recording the worst possible start. Consequently, China is also closely monitoring South Korea's defeat.

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

The situation has become difficult, making it uncertain for them to advance to the U-17 World Cup finals. They are in the same group as Indonesia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, but they are currently in 3rd place after the second group stage match and are at risk of elimination. Yemen complicated the situation by defeating Afghanistan 2-0, making it essential for South Korea to secure a victory against Afghanistan on the 8th.

In this match, South Korea deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Kim Ji-hyeok, Jeong Hee-jeong, and Oh Ha-ram in the attacking line, while Kim Ye-geon, Park Byeong-chan, and Jin Geon-young were positioned in the midfield. The defense consisted of Kim Min-chan, So Yoon-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 opportunities.

The outcome was decided in the second half's stoppage time, after a penalty kick awarded due to a handball foul by So Yoon-woo. Goalkeeper Park Do-hoon saved the first shot, but the rebound was pushed in by Evandra Florasta, scoring the winning goal.

South Korea attempted a total of 21 shots, but managed only 3 shots on target. In contrast, Indonesia demonstrated much higher efficiency with 5 shots, securing 3 points. While South Korea dominated in shot numbers, their lack of finishing ability ultimately held them back.

Even more shocking is the fact that this is the first time in U-17 team history that South Korea has lost to Indonesia. Until now, in three previous encounters, South Korea had 2 wins and 1 draw, holding an absolute advantage.

In terms of objective strength, South Korea was expected to easily pass the group stage in Group C, which includes Indonesia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, but they suffered a critical blow from the very first match and fell to 3rd place (0 points).

The upcoming tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup taking place in Qatar in November, offers a ticket to the finals for those who merely advance past the group stage. However, after this defeat, South Korea now finds itself facing the risk of elimination from the group stage.

Korean soccer has been experiencing a series of poor performances from the A national team down to the age-specific national teams. The U-23 team was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing to Indonesia in the qualifiers for the Paris Olympics last month, suffering the embarrassment of failing to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 40 years. Additionally, the U-22 team lost 0-1 in a friendly against China, leading to assessments that their overall competitiveness is wavering.

Chinese 'Zhibo.com' noted, "South Korea's defeat is not surprising. The South Korea and China U-17 teams are at a similar level." It added, "China and South Korea have already drawn 2-2 in the qualifiers. Although South Korea advanced as the group winner, it cannot be said that they are stronger than China."

This media outlet emphasized, "In fact, China outshot South Korea (12 to 5) in their match. It can be said that China was unlucky to draw the match." It further stated, "However, our China lost 0-1 in a practice match against Indonesia. Therefore, South Korea's loss to Indonesia is understandable."

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