We hope that achievement after achievement will be made by the "Garuda" team for the sake of the prestige of our football endeavors in Asia and the world.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
AP PHOTO/SUHAIMI ABDULLAH
Indonesian players take a photo after winning the second AFF Cup 2020 at the National Stadium, Singapore, Saturday (1/1/2022). In the second match, Indonesia held Thailand 2-2 to a draw so Thailand won 6-2 on aggregate.
The "Garuda" team ended the 2020 AFF Cup as runners-up, just as in the previous five events. Future investment is a crucial point.
The Indonesian national football team had become a finalist in the AFF Cup five times before this year, with all five ending in defeat in the final. The five finals were in 2000 when they lost to Thailand, 2002 (also lost to Thailand), 2004 (lost to Singapore), 2010 (lost to Malaysia) and in 2016, where they lost again to Thailand.
The country’s public, which is addicted to football, really hoped that this time the AFF Cup title could be won. In addition to breaking the runner-up curse, being the AFF champion would also end the drought of titles since the team won a gold medal at the 1991 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 30 years ago.
The public got increasingly hopeful as the "Garuda" team advanced through the group phase. With a 4-2 win over Cambodia, 5-1 over Laos, 4-1 over Malaysia and a 0-0 draw with Vietnam, Indonesia became the most productive team with a total of 13 goals scored and only four conceded. The victory over Malaysia, which was achieved after falling behind 0-1, became a turning point for supporters' confidence in the performance of Asnawi Mangkualam and his friends.
The dramatic second match of the semifinal against Singapore ended in a 4-2 victory for Indonesia, and brought Shin Tae-yong's team to a 5-3 aggregate win. Before meeting Thailand in the final, optimism also strengthened. Shin Tae-yong, who previously guided the South Korean team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, was considered successful in polishing the "Garuda" team by optimizing the available squad.
AP PHOTO/SUHAIMI ABDULLAH
Ricky Richardo Kambuaya of Indonesia, right, controls the ball during the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 final second leg match between Thailand and Indonesia in Singapore, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
That was it. The results in the top match were not as expected. Thailand won 6-2 on aggregate, winning 4-0 in the first match and drawing 2-2 in the second match. It is bitter indeed, but whatever the result, we must accept it gracefully.
At least there was Shin Tae-yong's effort on Indonesia’s behalf in the 2020 AFF Cup, which was a positive indication for the development of the nation’s football in the future. This effort is related to the trust in a number of young players.
The captain of the team, Asnawi, for example, is still 22 years old. Apart from him, there are Witan Sulaeman, who is 20 years old, Egy Maulana Vikri, who is 21 years old, Pratama Arhan, who is 20 years old, Rachmat Irianto, who is 22 years old, and goalkeeper Nadeo Winata, who is 24 years old. The relatively senior ones are Ricky Kambuaya and Irfan Jaya who are 25 years old and Evan Dimas who is 26 years old.
Several senior and naturalized players, such as Beto Goncalves, who is 41 years old, or Ilija Spa Sojevic, who is 34 years old, were not included in the squad. Meanwhile on the Thai team, there was still captain Teerasil Dangda, who is 33 years old. Defender Theerathon Bunmathan is also 31 years old.
The defeat in the 2020 AFF Cup final served as an important lesson for the team's success in the future. Next, Shin Tae-yong's team will continue the struggle in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers in China. It is the hope of national team supporters that Indonesia will qualify for the Asian Cup finals. Of course, we hope that achievement after achievement will be made by the "Garuda" team for the sake of the prestige of our football endeavors in Asia and the world.
