China under immense pressure ahead of Indonesia clash in World Cup qualifiers

China players celebrate a goal that was later ruled out in the 0-0 draw against Tajikistan in the Asian Cup on Jan. 13, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

China opened the third round with a crushing 0-7 loss to Japan, followed by a 1-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia despite playing with more men for over 70 minutes. In their most recent outing, China again took the lead but ultimately lost 1-3 to Australia. These results have left China at the bottom of group C with zero points and a goal difference of -10.

"As it stands, finishing in the top two in the group may prove a daunting task for China, but progressing into the fourth round of qualifying is a tangible target. After losing to Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia, three regular World Cup participants, China cannot afford to make any mistakes against Indonesia on Tuesday," Xinhua wrote.

In the past, China have dominated Indonesia, winning seven and drawing one since 1991. Currently 91st on FIFA ranking, China sit 38 places above Indonesia.

However, growing concerns have emerged among Chinese fans as Indonesia have made significant strides in recent years, largely due to the active use of naturalized players from Europe. With 13 naturalized players in their current squad, Indonesia have impressed in the first three games, drawing 1-1 with Saudi Arabia, 0-0 with Australia and 2-2 with Bahrain.

China's head coach Branko Ivankovic emphasized the importance of aiming for a top-four finish, stating that the match against Indonesia is "just the beginning of a real battle."

Ivankovic's optimistic stance have raised eyebrows, given China’s struggles in their first three matches. Xinhua pointed out that the team have shown vulnerabilities in defending set-pieces, physical fatigue at the end of the game and an inability to maintain consistent play. Despite these issues, both the coach and players have expressed their ambition and home fans expect nothing less than a victory.

China also face fitness concerns. Fei Nanduo has left the training camp, while Xie Wenneng, who scored against Australia, is nursing a minor injury. On the positive side, the team's top scorer Wu Lei has just returned from a knee injury, along with Brazil-born striker A Lan.

"Many of our opponents have naturalized players from Europe, especially from the Netherlands," Ivankovic told Xinhua. "We’ve studied their style and relayed that information to our players. We’ve conducted targeted training, and I expect our team to give their all, play aggressively, increase intensity and maintain effective football throughout the 90 minutes."

Chinese fans have expressed their disappointment with the national team following three consecutive defeats, as reflected in sluggish ticket sales for Tuesday's match at the 50,000-seat Qingdao Stadium.

Initially, only the cheapest tickets, priced at 280 yuan ($39), sold out. Tickets priced at 480 yuan and 680 yuan were eventually sold out after a nearly 10% discount was applied. Tickets priced at 880 yuan and 1,080 yuan were discounted by 13% but still struggled to sell. The most expensive tickets, priced at 1,380 yuan, remained without any price reduction.

"Fans are willing to spend a lot of money on tickets to experience ultimate joy," read a post on Chinese social media 163. "But instead of witnessing a great performance, they've been left with nothing but disappointment."