National Team
On the international stage, Indonesia experienced limited success despite being the first Asian team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1938 as Dutch East Indies. In 1956, the football team played in the Olympics and played a hard-fought draw against then footballing superpower USSR with the legendary Lev Yashin playing under the goal for USSR. On the continent level, Indonesia won the bronze medal once in football in the 1958 Asian Games. Indonesia's first appearance in Asian Cup was back in 1996. With a draw against Kuwait in their first match and then the lost if the following two matches against Korea Republic and the host, UAE, made the Indonesian team come back home early. In 2000, they again forced a draw against Kuwait, but then lost to China PR and Korea Republic.
The Indonesian national team has always qualified for the Asian Cup. In 2004, the national team recorded their first win in the Asian Cup against Qatar, but the dreams of the nation of going to the second round were shattered due to the defeat against China PR and Bahrain in the following group games. Indonesia beat Bahrain in 2007 AFC Asian Cup as one of the four co-hosts but the qualification dream was again shattered after two defeats by Asian superpowers Saudi Arabia and for the third time against Korea Republic.
Read more about this topic: Football In Indonesia
Famous quotes containing the words national and/or team:
“There is no calamity which a great nation can invite which equals that which follows a supine submission to wrong and injustice and the consequent loss of national self-respect and honor, beneath which are shielded and defended a people’s safety and greatness.”
—Grover Cleveland (1837–1908)
“giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.””
—Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)