After a narrow 1-0 victory over U23 Philippines last night (July 19), U23 Indonesia has one foot in the semi-finals as they lead Group A with 6 points. However, coach Gerald Vanenburg and his team still have to try their best in the final match when facing direct competitor U23 Malaysia.
U23 Indonesia players celebrate the only goal of the match (Photo: Suara).
Notably, after the match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, the head coach of U23 Indonesia frankly admitted: "To be honest, I don't fully understand the rules of advancing in the group stage. We just focus on our own work."
U23 Indonesia is a united team, we will try our best to win every match, no matter who the opponent is. That is the only way to progress. And that is also my only thought.
The most important thing for us is to go out on the field and play our best," the former Ajax Amsterdam player affirmed the highest goal for the team from the archipelago.
This statement by coach Vanemerik has created many conflicting opinions. On the one hand, many supporters of U23 Indonesia show their focus on the performance on the field, with an uncompromising fighting spirit. On the other hand, many are unhappy that a head coach who does not fully understand the rules of the tournament his team is participating in can potentially pose tactical risks, especially in cases where results need to be calculated to ensure a place in the next round.
In fact, U23 Indonesia is holding the right to self-determination when only needing a draw against U23 Malaysia in the last match of Group A on July 21 to officially win a ticket to the semi-finals of U23 Southeast Asia 2025.
Coach Vanenburg declared that he will win every match at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament (Photo: Bola).
However, the scenario of the team from the archipelago having to accept a defeat against their direct competitor, U23 Malaysia, will make the situation extremely complicated. In the remaining match, U23 Philippines will likely win against U23 Brunei and Group A may see three teams with 6 points.
This means that the semi-final spot will be decided based on the secondary indexes, creating a thrilling race until the last minute. According to the regulations of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament, if two teams have the same number of points, the head-to-head difference will be considered first.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-u23-indonesia-thua-nhan-khong-biet-luat-giai-u23-dong-nam-a-20250719081438472.htm
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