Indonesia is advised to be less complacent before Vietnam
* Vietnam - Indonesia: 8pm Saturday, August 26, on MetaSports.
"In this final, the mentality of Indonesian players will be tested. Before that, they beat Thailand, one of the strong teams in this tournament. However, the players need to immediately forget about self-esteem. Satisfied, focused and vigilant against Vietnam. After the final, it is not too late for Indonesia to celebrate," said Hendarwanto.
Indonesia is classified as a candidate for the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 championship. But they played unconvincingly in the group stage when they lost 1-2 against Malaysia and struggled to win Timor Leste 1-0. These performances made teachers and coaches Shin Tae-yong receive criticism.
However, the team of thousands of islands seemed to have changed in the semi-finals. Three goals from Jeam Kelly Sroyer, Muhammad Ferarri and an own goal from Natcha Promsomboon helped them unexpectedly beat the host Thailand 3-1. This result gives Indonesia the opportunity to win two consecutive U23 tournaments in the region, after winning the SEA Games three months ago.
According to Hendarwanto, Indonesia did not prepare well for the Southeast Asian U23 tournament, leading to below expectations in the first two matches. Part of this is because coach Shin does not have the best players because the club refuses to release. But the coach who once led the PSIM Yogyakarta club said that the deeper they went, the better the mentality of Indonesia, helping them to play better.
Despite scoring three goals against Thailand, Hendarwanto said that Indonesia needs to improve its finishing ability if it wants to overcome the Vietnamese defense. He commented: "I hope any player ranked highest knows how to score as many goals as possible, more than in the semi-finals when Indonesia has many good opportunities but cannot convert into goals."
Hendarwanto was born in 1977, played as a defender while playing. He started working as a coach in 2018, leading domestic clubs, including three times holding PSIM Yogyakarta. The 46-year-old military leader is now free after leaving PSIM Yogyakarta at the end of March 2023.
