World Cup Qualifying - Asia | Third Round

Nov 15, 2024 at 12am UK

Indonesiavs.Japan

Match preview



Indonesia is back in the third round of the AFC FIFA World Cup qualifiers, hoping to secure a spot in just their second World Cup. Their first was in 1938, when they were still known as the Dutch East Indies. That was the first time an Asian team appeared in the competition, but they were eliminated in the opening round.

Shin Tae-yong, who has been in charge of the team since 2020, must be pretty happy with how his side got their third round campaign off to a flying start, with some encouraging draws against Saudi Arabia (1-1) and Australia (0-0).

While they kept their unbeaten streak alive after three matches, drawing 2-2 with Bahrain, Indonesia were left disappointed. They threw away their first three points of the group after conceding a 99th-minute equaliser, having led 2-1 heading into the final minutes.

Despite dominating the game with 76% possession and 14 shots to their opponents' five, China ran out 2-1 winners. Indonesia is still searching for their first victory in the group.

Those results mean that Indonesia is still looking for its first win and is currently in fifth place, two points behind the three teams above it. Every point is therefore vital in its pursuit of keeping its World Cup dreams alive.

Tae-yong will be hoping his team can recover from their recent defeat and start climbing up the group standings, but they face tough challenges ahead in the international break, with matches against group leaders Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Japan have been one of the top teams in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers. They've remained unbeaten alongside just three other teams and have scored the most goals (15) and have the joint-best defensive record, conceding just once.

Hajime Moriyasu will be pleased with Japan's strong record, especially after their disappointing performance in the 2023 Asian Cup earlier this year. The Samurai Blue were defeated by Iraq in the group stage and eliminated by Iran in the quarter-finals.

They had a great second round of qualifying, winning all six matches and scoring 24 goals without conceding any. This put them top of the group with 18 points, nine more than second-placed North Korea. They've kept up this great form in the third round.

Japan got off to a flying start in the third round with a 7-0 win over China, followed by 5-0 and 2-0 victories against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively. However, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Australia in their most recent match.

They're now aiming to get back to winning ways and move one step closer to securing their place at the World Cup for the eighth consecutive tournament. Moriyasu's men will take on an Indonesia side that they comfortably beat 3-1 in their last meeting in the Asian Cup group stage.

Recent Performance

Indonesia World Cup Qualifying - Asia form:LWDDDL

Japan World Cup Qualifying - Asia form:WWWWWD

Team News

Even though they only got one point from their games against Bahrain and China during the October international break, Indonesia were still the better team in both matches. This might encourage Tae-yong to stick with the same lineup for this match.

Thom Haye came off the bench to score Indonesia's only goal in the defeat to China last time out, so it's likely he'll be back in the starting 11 alongside Ivar Jenner here.

Kevin Diks is set to join the Indonesia squad for the first time after confirming he will play for the Garuda Squad. The FC Copenhagen defender is anticipated to make his debut against Japan.

Ayase Ueda, who has started all four of Japan's third-round group games, won't be playing in the upcoming matches because he's injured. Kyogo Furuhashi will replace him after returning to the squad for the first time since October 2023.

Moriyasu is expected to field a similar attacking lineup to the one that has featured in all of their previous outings. Takefusa Kubo and Takumi Minamino will play just behind the striker, while Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan will play from wide positions.

Zion Suzuki, Ko Itakura, Shogo Taniguchi and Koki Machida have started all four of the last matches together in defence. With Moriyasu expecting a tough away game against Indonesia, he'll probably stick with this combination.

Possible starting lineup

Indonesia possible starting lineup:

Paes; Walsh, Diks, Amat, Idzes, Verdonk; Sulaeman, Jenner, Haye, Oratmangoen; Struick

Japan possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Itakura, Taniguchi, Machida; Doan, Endo, Morita, Mitoma; Minamino, Kubo; Furuhashi