The Burden of the "Young Garuda" and the Benefits of the Philippines

CHIANG MAI, KOMPAS — The journey of the Indonesian football team to defend the SEA Games 2025 championship title will begin from a challenging position. The "Garuda Muda" is at a disadvantage due to scheduling and adaptation factors. In contrast, the Philippines benefits from these factors.

Indonesia must secure points from the Philippines in the Group C match at the 700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Monday (8/12/2025) at 18:00 WIB. Although this is the first match for the team coached by Indra Sjafrie, Indonesia's fate to advance to the knockout stage could be determined by the outcome of this match.

As a result of Cambodia withdrawing from the tournament, the number of participants in Group C is reduced to three teams. Singapore, which was supposed to be in the same group as Indonesia, has been moved to Group A. Consequently, Muhammad Ferarri and his teammates will only play two group matches. Only the top team is guaranteed to advance to the next round.

The problem is that the Philippines played first last Friday. They defeated Myanmar 2-0. If they win again against Indonesia, the Philippines will automatically advance to the knockout stage as the champion of Group C. Indonesia can only hope to qualify through the best second-place rankings.

"We are ready for the first match tomorrow. I have emphasized to the players to focus. As we have planned, I have placed the burden on the players, hoping that we can clearly advance from the group. Therefore, tomorrow's match is very crucial for us," said Indra during the official training session.

Typically, almost every team will face difficulties in their first match of the tournament. They must adjust and find their rhythm first. "Garuda Muda" does not have the same privilege to adapt, as they are immediately awaited by an important match. Meanwhile, the Philippines are already familiar with the field and the atmosphere of the stadium.

Along with the exceptionally heavy challenges, a great spirit also envelops the Indonesian squad. This was clearly evident as they trained at the Rajamangala Lanna University Stadium in Chiang Mai, just one day before the match. The stadium is located 35 kilometers from the team hotel, requiring a journey of approximately 48 minutes.

Despite the long journey, the players showed no signs of fatigue as they entered the field. They also arrived with a relaxed demeanor. The coaching staff contributed to lightening the atmosphere by organizing a "fun" game before the main training session.

The manager of the Indonesian team, Sumardji, stated that the players are ready from both technical and non-technical aspects to replicate their success in the 2023 Cambodia edition. "We have prepared this team well in advance. We have made all necessary preparations up to this moment to ensure a good outcome. Essentially, we can resolve all issues," he said.

Indonesia and the Philippines met during the ASEAN U-23 Championship in Jakarta last July. The "Garuda Muda" successfully dominated the game but could only secure a narrow victory of 1-0 through an own goal from an opposing player. The goal came from a throw-in scheme, rather than from a live play situation.

The Philippines was very cautious at that time. The team coached by Mark Torcaso defended very deep, stacking players on the last line. This strategy made their second line appear vulnerable. Indonesia took advantage of this with attempts to shoot from outside the penalty area. A total of four shots were on target.

Ferarri and his teammates will come with more weapons in the upcoming match. There are several players who have not joined the ASEAN Championship, such as forward Mauro Zijlstra and midfielder Ivar Jenner. Conversely, the Philippines is also bringing in some new players, one of whom is a defender from the Brighton and Hove Albion academy, namely Isaiah Alakiu.

According to Indra, the quality of the Philippines has indeed improved with the presence of players from clubs in Europe. "However, I prefer to view the opponent collectively, not individually. This is also what I conveyed to the team. Football is not about individual players. Nothing is more important than this team," he stated.

Indonesia must pass its first test against the Philippines if it wishes to make new history at the SEA Games. The "Garuda Muda" has previously triumphed three times in this multi-sport event, in the editions of 1987, 1991, and 2023. However, Indonesia has never succeeded in defending the gold in the subsequent editions.