Lack of stability
In the report on the achievements of U23 Indonesia up to the final match of U23 Southeast Asia 2025 , experts noted the important note "reddish yellow" .
This is a strong warning signal to coach Gerald Vanenburg and his assistants: U23 Indonesia is unstable, not yet at the red alert level but full of risks. If they continue, they will find it difficult to compete at a higher level.
The journey of U23 Indonesia is one of increasing difficulty: winning U23 Brunei 8-0 , winning U23 Philippines 1-0, drawing 0-0 with U23 Malaysia, and overcoming U23 Thailand after a penalty shootout .
Football expert Gusnul Yakin commented frankly: “ If you look at the opponents the team has faced, the level of challenge gradually increases, which is ideal. From the weakest team to the strongest.
But in terms of playing style through each match, U23 Indonesia has not shown stability yet .
Coach Vanenburg wants to bring modern football to Indonesia, by implementing a proactive ball possession style of play.
However, U23 Indonesia has not met the requirements. In the match against U23 Thailand, "Garuda Muda" controlled the ball up to 70% but mainly on home field.
“When we talk about ball control, it does not mean holding the ball in our own half. Maybe the players misunderstood the tactical instructions, so the gameplay became negative,” Mr. Gusnul Yakin analyzed.
The expert emphasized: "The players should have controlled the ball more in the opponent's half - where there is the possibility of creating goals."
Mental and physical
If there is a factor that is highly appreciated by experts, it is the mental strength that coach Vanenburg has influenced the young U23 Indonesian players.
“Garuda Muda” played with good spirit against U23 Malaysia. This continued to be shown more clearly in the semi-final match against U23 Thailand.
Coach Vanenburg's players fought hard until the last minute without giving up. As a result, they got an equalizer from Jens Raven.
The elimination of U23 Thailand has helped U23 Indonesia gain more psychological confidence. Coach Kim Sang Sik and the U23 Vietnam players need to remember this, especially when they play at the exciting Gelora Bung Karno.
On the contrary, coach Kim Sang Sik has an important factor to exploit for U23 Vietnam: the home team is not strong physically.
U23 Indonesia had an important training session before the U23 Southeast Asia tournament, but the results were not as expected.
Maybe there is a problem with the physical training program, or the coaching staff chooses the wrong time to drop. Therefore, the players' physical condition is uneven. Some are even prone to cramps.
Poor physical fitness directly affects the ability to maintain stable play in high intensity matches.
In recent matches, it can be seen that U23 Indonesia can only maintain high physical strength until the 75th or 80th minute. U23 Vietnam needs to learn from U23 Thailand to exploit this weakness of the opponent.
Poor quality of reserve
Another important point that exists in U23 Indonesia: the gap between official and reserve players is too big .
This leads to over-reliance on a few individuals. When Raven does not score, U23 Indonesia lacks solutions to approach the opponent's goal.
The gap is most evident in midfield and the ability to launch attacks, with Arkhan Fikri and Toni Firmansyah injured .
Without Firmansyah, U23 Indonesia lost its fighting spirit and balance. Without Arkhan, the playing style that coach Vanenburg deployed lost its creativity.
Likewise, if Raven has a physical problem, Mr. Vanenburg does not see an alternative.
In any case, the burden falls on the shoulders of a few pillars like Rayhan Hannan – one of the new prides of Indonesian football.
U23 Indonesia has home field advantage, but U23 Vietnam and captain Khuat Van Khang have a great opportunity to continue writing history – winning the Southeast Asian youth football championship for the third consecutive time.
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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/giai-ma-u23-indonesia-nhieu-diem-yeu-de-u23-viet-nam-khai-thac-2426592.html
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