After the defeat at Pakansari stadium on the evening of August 3, the head coach of the Indonesian national team frankly admitted that his team did not show their true ability against a Vietnamese team that played effectively and deserved to win.
Congratulations Vietnam, this is a difficult match for Indonesia. We didn't play well enough, and Vietnam had an impressive performance. They improved very quickly after the 0-0 draw with Singapore at home," Mr. John Herdman said at a post-match press conference.
The British coach also apologized to Indonesian fans after the disappointing result.
This defeat helps us learn a lot. This is a result that the Indonesian team did not want at all, but that is football. I want to apologize to the fans, those who cheered for the Indonesian team. We will be back because there is still a match ahead," he said.
Assessing the reasons for the defeat, coach Herdman said that Indonesia conceded too early, making the game difficult.
It's too early to analyze anything, I still have many emotions after this match. We conceded two goals after 15 minutes, goals that were very easy. The whole team will have a difficult night," the 50-year-old strategist shared.
He also took responsibility for the performance of the whole team.
I take responsibility when the team does not play well. The Indonesian team needs to change to a better state, needs to control better. The players will strive to improve together, learn from mistakes," coach Herdman emphasized.
Regarding the condition of striker Marselino Ferdinand, he said: "More confirmation is needed about Ferdinand's case. This is also an opportunity for many other players to contribute to Indonesia".
Heading towards the final match against Singapore, the Indonesian national team captain affirmed that the team will make maximum efforts to nurture hopes of winning a ticket to the semi-finals.
We will prepare both tactics and spirit to face Singapore. Indonesia is in a difficult position to win a ticket to the next round. Singapore is a team that plays cohesively, but we are forced to overcome it to win. Indonesian players have good spirits and will try to fight for the country," he said.
In the match at Pakansari Stadium, the Vietnamese team won 3-0 thanks to goals from Nguyen Van Vi, Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Xuan Son.
After 4 matches in Group A, Vietnam has 7 points after 3 matches, temporarily leading the group thanks to a better goal difference than Singapore. Indonesia is third with 6 points and is forced to defeat Singapore in the last match if they want to continue the semi-final race. Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang-sik's team only needs to win at least 1 point against Cambodia to definitely advance.
