Facing the highest rated opponent in Group A, who is also the current runner-up of the U17 South American tournament, U17 Indonesia faced many difficulties. U17 Ecuador took advantage of their physical strength and speed to put pressure right after the opening whistle.
Surprisingly, in the 21st minute, Indonesia - the weaker team - took the lead. Starting from an attack on the left wing, Kafiatur Rizky sent the ball into the opponent's goalkeeper, making him unable to control the situation. The ball bounced right to Arkhan Kaka. The young player of the host country quickly scored from close range against Ecuador.
U17 Indonesia got a draw against U17 Ecuador.
The joy of the Indonesian fans did not last long, when they conceded a goal just 7 minutes after opening the score. Allen Obando shined with a goal from a tricky header.
In the remaining minutes, the game was completely in Ecuador's favor. The South American representative pressed hard, forcing the young Indonesian players to defend against crosses from the opponent's flanks. In the second half, the game did not change much.
Ecuador continued to push up their attack but did not bring the necessary results. Their strong physical foundation helped Indonesia stand firm against their opponents.
Coach Diego Martinez's team had 18 shots, 6 of which were on target, but could not score. Indonesia played resiliently until the extra minutes and maintained the draw. When the final whistle blew, coach Bima Sakti and his team and fans were overwhelmed with emotion after winning a historic score in a world-class playground.
At the U17 World Cup, Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian representative to participate thanks to being the host country. Previously, the country's youth team did not even qualify for the U17 Asian Cup. On November 13, U17 Indonesia will face Panama, a team that has just won a ticket to the U17 World Cup finals after a 10-year absence.
Mai Phuong
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