U23 Indonesia has yet to win the Southeast Asian U23 Championship after two consecutive seasons in the final. Although playing at home, coach Donald Vanenburg and his team lost 0-1 to U23 Vietnam.
After this defeat, President of the Indonesian Football Federation - Mr. Erick Thohir expressed regret: "The players played their best, but as I said before, they needed to concentrate for 90 minutes. Just a moment of weakness, the opponent can take advantage.
In addition, there were some times when U23 Indonesia created good opportunities but could not score. Regardless, I still appreciate the team's efforts. They played their best and when Vietnam played strongly, we were ready to respond".
In addition, Mr. Erick Thohir also pointed out the reason why the home team did not achieve the desired results.
"I think the players tried to fight continuously, the only regret is the result of a 0-1 loss. If you ask if this is the strongest squad or not, the answer is not. Because we are missing two pillars, but that is not an excuse. Football is always a game of 11 fists and 11.
The absence of Arkhan and Tony has affected midfield balance. Now we will focus on the existing players to prepare for the U23 Asian qualifiers in September."
This is the second time U23 Indonesia has suffered a defeat against U23 Vietnam in the final. 2 years ago, the team from the archipelago lost to Vietnam after a series of brain-weighing penalty shootouts.
