Today U.23 Indonesia vs Thailand: Home team won't win easily

PROBLEMS OF BOTH

On the host side, U.23 Indonesia, the expectation is placed on the shoulders of naturalized striker Jens Raven and promising young striker of the archipelago Hokky Caraka. Of which, Jens Raven with his ideal physique (1.89 m tall) and modern football thinking has left a strong impression when scoring 6 goals against U.23 Brunei. This is also the main striker that the host expects to tear the net of the Thai team.

Hôm nay U.23 Indonesia đấu Thái Lan: Chủ nhà không dễ thắng- Ảnh 1. — Naturalized striker Jens Raven (21) is the most expected name in the attack of the home team U.23 Indonesia.

However, the reality after the group stage brought a bit of disappointment. U.23 Indonesia scored a total of 9 goals in 3 matches, but 8 of them were scored against weak opponent U.23 Brunei. In difficult matches such as against U.23 Philippines (won 1-0 thanks to an own goal) and U.23 Malaysia (drawn 0-0), Indonesia's attack was not sharp. Jens Raven played energetically but lacked the necessary connection with the midfield. Hokky Caraka had smart moves but often "starved for the ball" or finished hastily. Mr. Erick Thohir, President of the Indonesian Football Federation, also admitted: "U.23 Indonesia still has a lot to improve, especially in the ability to finish situations".

On the other side, U.23 Thailand is also facing similar problems. Leading Group C with an unbeaten record (1 win, 1 draw), but the team from the Golden Temple has not brought the explosive attack as fans expected. Attention is focused on Yotsakorn Burapha, a potential striker playing in the Thai League. As a striker with experience playing at the top level of the domestic league, Yotsakorn is expected by head coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul to carry the attack of U.23 Thailand. However, Yotsakorn has not really shined. The 20-year-old striker moves widely, runs well without the ball, but lacks lethal shots. After 2 group stage matches, Yotsakorn has only contributed 1 goal in U.23 Thailand's 4-0 victory over U.23 Timor Leste. However, with his quick qualities, Yotsakorn is the potential striker that the Thai people expect in the semi-finals.

K THE FLASH MOMENT THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Despite having equal squad quality, both U.23 Indonesia and U.23 Thailand faced the problem of finishing in the group stage. Therefore, the semi-final match could be decided by a moment of brilliance from which striker knows how to take advantage of the opportunity. In a match of equal strength, the two teams created a tug of war, expected attacking spearheads such as Jens Raven, Hokky Caraka (U.23 Indonesia), or Yotsakorn Burapha (U.23 Thailand) are likely to make the difference.

Mr. Erick Thohir affirmed that he still believes in the goalscoring ability of Jens Raven and Hokky Caraka in the semi-finals, and further in the final of the 2025 U.23 Southeast Asia. Head coach Gerald Vanenburg shared: "Facing Thailand is always difficult. Playing defensively against Thailand is also an option, but Indonesia will still fight and show itself. We have lost a few players, which could be a disadvantage for Indonesia. However, we still have many good players to replace them. I know Thai players are very fast, but we have also prepared well. Indonesia has good ideas to face Thailand. Indonesia knows what to do."

On the other side of the front line, coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul of Thailand U.23 commented: "In the group stage, Thailand did not play very well and I am not really satisfied. The whole team still has many things to improve. We need to prepare well in all aspects, including the fighting spirit. Indonesia is definitely one of Thailand's biggest opponents. Therefore, the semi-final match will be very difficult. Indonesia played very well in the group stage. The Indonesian fan base is also a big pressure for Thailand U.23".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hom-nay-u23-indonesia-dau-thai-lan-chu-nha-khong-de-thang-185250724215130268.htm