Indonesia lost 0-1 to Iraq in the World Cup qualifiers, shattering their World Cup dreams; despite heavy naturalization efforts, it was all in vain, while the Chinese national team is smiling.

On October 12th Beijing time, the battle in the fourth stage of the Asian World Cup qualifiers went on. In the second round, Indonesia’s heavily naturalized squad was narrowly defeated 0-1 by Iraq. With this loss, Indonesia suffered back-to-back defeats, losing their chance to qualify for the World Cup and ending their dream of the North American tournament. For a large population nation like Indonesia, this is somewhat embarrassing, though the Chinese team is surely smiling at this result!

Indonesia was originally a weaker team, but with the World Cup expanding, they saw a chance to qualify. They made drastic changes by naturalizing many players, which greatly improved their strength. They successfully reached the final 18 and entered the competition in the sixth pot, grouped with China. After the third stage among the final 18, Indonesia’s naturalization strategy paid off, finishing fourth in their group and advancing to the fourth stage. This boosted their confidence, and they boldly declared their ambition to qualify for the World Cup!

In the fourth stage, Indonesia was grouped with Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In their first match, they narrowly lost 2-3 to the Asian powerhouse Saudi Arabia, scoring two penalty goals. In the second match against Iraq, they had to win to keep their qualification hopes alive, but reality was harsh. Indonesia played poorly and lost 0-1 again, suffering two straight defeats and ending up at the bottom of the group standings!

As a result, Indonesia lost to both Saudi Arabia and Iraq, suffering a painful two-game losing streak and having to accept elimination. It’s truly heartbreaking for Indonesia: after naturalizing many unknown mediocre players, all their efforts ended in vain, and their World Cup dream was shattered once more. After the match, Indonesian players couldn’t hide their disappointment and were in tears. Seeing Indonesia’s big effort still fall short, the Chinese team is definitely smiling now!

Written by / Sports Novel

#Headline Creation Carnival#​