It is truly a unique affection. Can a team that has abandoned such a coach succeed?

The Indonesian national football team, on the 20th (Korean time) at 6:10 p.m., suffered a heavy defeat of 1-5 against Australia at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, despite utilizing a large number of naturalized players, and felt the absence of coach Shin Tae-yong.

In the third qualifying round to determine the World Cup finalists, Indonesia was grouped in Group C along with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China. After marking 6 points with 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses up to the sixth match, they rose to third place in the group. However, they made the critical mistake of dismissing coach Shin Tae-yong and appointing coach Patrick Kluivert.

There was much debate about the surprising dismissal of coach Shin Tae-yong, who had been achieving good results. Claims of conflicts with the Indonesian Football Association arose, leading to various controversies. Some argued that Indonesia, which has been focusing on fielding naturalized players, desired a coach with a reputation like Kluivert's from his playing days.

It is behavior close to betrayal. Coach Shin has been developing Indonesian football since he took the helm in 2020, even overseeing age-specific national teams. He achieved a runner-up finish in the 2020 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup and reached the semifinals in the 2022 AFF Mitsubishi Cup.

Yet, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) unexpectedly decided to dismiss coach Shin Tae-yong last January. At that time, the Indonesian Football Association stated, "This decision was made after long and careful consideration and evaluation of the national team's performance and the long-term goals that the team aims to achieve. PSSI thanks everyone who has contributed to the development of the Indonesian national football team and wishes coach Shin Tae-yong all the best for his future."

Along with the appointment of coach Kluivert, Indonesia added Jordi Cruyff as a technical advisor last month. Jordi Cruyff is the son of the legendary Dutch forward Johan Cruyff. Coach Shin Tae-yong had maintained a philosophy of balancing pure Indonesian players and naturalized players while leading the Indonesian national team.

However, recently the Indonesian national team has been shifting towards a direction where Dutch naturalized players are the core of the team. In the latest squad, a large number of naturalized players were included, narrowing the positions of existing pure Indonesian players. Ultimately, this thought of actively recruiting naturalized players to achieve results led to the joining of various renowned figures from the Netherlands.

However, the absence of a one-team spirit directly led to a poor performance. Due to the heavy defeat, Indonesia dropped to the bottom in terms of goal difference. Kluivert and the naturalized players were unilaterally shaken by the Australian offensive. They conceded the opening goal to Boyle in the 18th minute of the first half and then allowed another goal to Baccus in the 20th minute, leading to a collapse.

Moreover, they conceded a third goal to Irvine in the 34th minute of the first half, which effectively confirmed their loss in a short amount of time. With the 16th minute of the second half, Goodwin's cross was finished off by Miller with a header for a final goal. Indonesia managed to score a consolation goal when Romani, who received a pass from Diks in the 33rd minute of the second half, found the back of the net, but that was the end. In fact, they conceded another goal to Irvine in added time of the second half, bringing the match to a conclusion with Indonesia's heavy defeat of 1-5.

Is it a penalty for dismissing coach Shin Tae-yong without understanding the situation? When coach Shin was present, Indonesia drew 0-0 against Australia at home, but with naturalized players and the new coach, they collapsed completely, putting them in a gloomy situation from the start.

Vietnam's "Vietnam Express" reported, "Coach Shin Tae-yong cheered for the Indonesian national team at a café in Jakarta. He expressed regret over missing several scenes due to traffic congestion. To support the Indonesian team, he ultimately ran 1 km to reach the café."

This outlet emphasized that "Coach Shin Tae-yong was able to arrive at a café in Jakarta only after the first half of the Indonesia-Australia match. He continued to cheer for the Indonesian national team in the second half, but showed disappointment upon witnessing the team concede goals one after another."

It added, "Coach Shin Tae-yong was disgracefully dismissed from the Indonesian national team. Despite such an insulting act, he stated that he would continue to support the Indonesian national team. Coach Shin Tae-yong's love for the Indonesian national team is genuine."

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