Indra Sjafri’s 11 Best Players Put to the Test

The U-22 Indonesian football team will be put to the test when facing the defending champion, Vietnam, in the semifinals. This match will also serve to avenge Indra’s defeat in the 2019 Sea Games final.

HUMAS PSSI

Indonesian players celebrate the goal scored by Titan Agung (front) against Cambodia in the Group A preliminary match for men's soccer SEA Games Cambodia 2023 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday (10/5/2023). The Indonesian U-22 squad won, 2-1. In the semifinals, Indonesia will face Vietnam.

PHNOM PENH, KOMPAS – The U-22 Indonesian football team’s coach, Indra Sjafri, admits that he already has the best starting line-up after experimenting during the four preliminary Group A matches of the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games. Indra’s best line-up will be put to the test when facing the defending champion, Vietnam, in the semifinals. This match will also serve to avenge Indra’s defeat in the 2019 Sea Games final.

Unlike their opponents in Group A, the Vietnamese football team is in a different league. The Golden Star team is the defending champion of two consecutive SEA Games, namely in 2019 and 2021. Vietnam qualified for the semifinals after placing second in Group B, with Thailand placing first. Meanwhile, Indonesia is the overall winner for Group A.

In the group phase, Vietnam won three times and drew once, while Indonesia won all its matches. However, if we are not careful, the Garuda Muda team could fail to advance to the final round and take home its first gold medal since the 1991 SEA Games. This match will take place at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, on Saturday (13/5/2023) at 4 p.m. western Indonesian time (WIB).

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Indra said he had observed Vietnam’s four matches in the group phase. With the results of the match analysis, the coach, who is from West Sumatra, has prepared the best formula to use against Vietnam. Moreover, Indra has found 11 best players who excel in their respective positions.

“We watched all of Vietnam’s matches in the group phase. Hopefully, what we’ve deduced about their strengths and weaknesses is correct. We are indeed ready for the semifinals. As we said earlier, the four matches in the group phase was the best place to find the best 11 players,” said Indra in a press conference ahead of the match in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday (12/5).

Based on the record of matches between the two U-22 teams, the Vietnamese team is superior to Indonesia’s. The two teams played against each other four times since 2017. Out of those four matches, Indonesia has won once, lost twice and drew once.

We are indeed ready for the semifinals.

Indonesia saw its most bitter defeat in the 2019 SEA Games final. At the time, Indonesia, which lost 0-3, was also coached by Indra. Hence, this semifinal match at the SEA Games feels like Indra’s comeback against Vietnam.

Therefore, it is predicted that the semifinal match will be a fierce one. Indonesians who wish to provide direct support to the Garuda Muda team can book an AirAsia direct flight from Jakarta to Phnom Penh starting 19 April 2023. They have a flight scheduled our times a week with tickets that can be purchased on the AirAsia SuperApp or the official AirAsia.com website.

KOMPAS/I GUSTI AGUNG BAGUS ANGGA PUTRA

The coach of the Indonesian football team, Indra Sjafri (left), listens to journalists' questions at the Phnom Penh Hotel, Cambodia, during a press conference session ahead of the semifinal match between Indonesia and Vietnam, Friday (12/5/2023).

Transition period

Since the departure of coach Park Hang-seo, the Vietnamese football team is still undergoing a period of transition. Vietnam is now being coached by French national, Philippe Troussier. Under Troussier, Vietnam relies on regular players in the domestic league.

The four matches in the group phase showed that Vietnam is skilled at counter-attacks. The strength of their offensive line lies in the finishing ability of striker Ngyuen Van Tung. Van Tung has scored four of the eight goals scored by Vietnam so far. This figure is on par with that of Indonesia’s right-wing striker, Fajar Fathur Rahman. Both now lead as top scorers at the 2023 SEA Games.

“For Vietnam, we can consider the semifinals as the first target of our mission. Vietnam is the defending champion for two consecutive editions. Therefore, we are responsible for upholding that achievement this time. First of all, we have reached the semifinals. The four teams here certainly have ambition to win. This won’t be an easy match,” said Troussier.

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The Garuda Muda team will also begin with all its strength from the start. Indra said his key players have rested fully for two days. Meanwhile, Vietnam was unable to benefit from the schedule and only had full rest for one day. Even so, Troussier did not see this as an issue. According to Troussier, only a team that is ready can come out victorious.

Troussier said for this year’s SEA Games Vietnam fielded 50 to 60 percent of its U-20 players. Despite their young age, he appreciates the fighting spirit and mutual trust of his players. Additionally, the draw against Thailand in the last match helped boost their confidence.

“Every match will be tough. Only the team that is ready deserves to win. To deserve victory, there must be a will to fight, a process and a method. That is what we are currently trying to do for tomorrow’s game. To win, we will try with ambition and desire,” he said.

Only the team that is ready deserves to win.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian captain, Rizky Ridho, said he understood Vietnam’s play style after having played against them several times. According to Ridho, in their match against Vietnam, they must not be provoked by their opponents and control their emotions so as not to harm the team.

The two-day rest period was used by the national team players to recover their stamina and physicality. Currently, said Ridho, the players have recovered 100 percent and are ready to play against Vietnam to win the ticket to the final.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.