Despite being the defending champions of the SEA Games 33, the Indonesian U23 team delivered a disappointing opening match. The young team, featuring many naturalized players, played disjointedly and lost 0-1 to the Philippines U23. This defeat put Indonesia U23 in a difficult position, facing the risk of early elimination. To reach the semi-finals, Coach Indra Sjafri's team must beat Myanmar U23 by at least three goals.
Indonesia's U.23 team showed little improvement compared to their loss against the Philippines' U.23 team.
Aiming for three points, the Indonesian U23 team fielded a very strong lineup against Myanmar U23. Prominent players like Rafael Struick, Mauro Zijlstra, and Ivar Jenner started, playing crucial roles in the attacking midfield of the "Garuda" youth team. For the first 30 minutes, Indonesia U23 completely dominated possession, holding the ball for nearly 60%. However, the connection between the attacking players was poor, preventing them from creating any noteworthy chances.
Conversely, the Myanmar U23 team played defensively. However, whenever they had possession, they launched quick attacks and often posed a threat, thanks to the many speedy players in their lineup. In the 26th minute, Min Maw Oo shone with a beautiful curling shot from outside the penalty area, unexpectedly giving Myanmar U23 a 1-0 lead.
Myanmar U.23 unexpectedly took the lead despite being considered the weaker team.
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT
Unexpectedly trailing, the Indonesian U23 team had to increase the pressure to find an equalizer. Instead of relying on central midfield combinations, the Indonesian U23 team began to change their approach, constantly utilizing crosses from both flanks. After much pressure, in the 45th minute, Tony seized the opportunity after a mistake by the Myanmar U23 goalkeeper, leveling the score at 1-1 for Indonesia.
In the second half, the Indonesian U23 team continued to dominate. Similar to the end of the first half, coach Indra Sjafri's players still relied heavily on high crosses from the flanks, exploiting the aerial abilities of their forwards in the penalty area. However, this tactic proved ineffective as the Myanmar U23 defense played with great concentration and provided excellent cover for each other. For the first 20 minutes of the second half, the Indonesian U23 team was almost completely ineffective, failing to produce any dangerous shots.
Starting from the 70th minute, the Indonesian U23 team went all-out, bringing on all their attack-minded players. The young "Garuda" team continuously pressured the Myanmar U23 goal, having 12 shots on goal. In the 89th and 90+5th minutes, Jens Raven scored a brace, sealing a 3-1 victory for the Indonesian U23 team.
Indonesia U23 has been officially eliminated from the SEA Games 33.
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT
Coming from behind to defeat U23 Myanmar 3-1, U23 Indonesia earned 3 points after 2 matches, finishing the group stage in second place. However, U23 Indonesia was officially eliminated from the SEA Games 33 with a goal difference of only +1, having to finish second in the race for the best-performing second-placed team. U23 Malaysia, in Group B, secured a place in the semi-finals (U23 Malaysia had the same 3 points and a goal difference of +1 as U23 Indonesia but scored more goals). U23 Malaysia's opponent in the semi-finals will be U23 Thailand.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoc-dong-danh-bai-u23-myanmar-u23-indonesia-van-bi-loai-cay-dang-ngay-vong-bang-18525121219592418.htm
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