Indonesia U-17 Vs South Korea U-17, Waiting for Shin Tae-yong's Training Results

JEDDAH, THURSDAY – The mission to compete in the U-17 World Cup for two consecutive editions has been ignited by the Indonesian U-17 team in their opening match of Group C in the U-17 Asian Cup against South Korea, Friday (4/4/2025) at 10:00 PM WIB, at Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Indonesian U-17 coach, Nova Arianto, is equipped with strategies to secure points against South Korea.

The style and philosophy of South Korean football are no strangers to Nova. His position as an assistant to the former coach of the Indonesian national team, Shin Tae-yong, during the period from 2020 to 2024 should have enabled Nova to thoroughly understand the intricacies of the game played by the "Taegeuk Warriors," the nickname of the Asian football giant.

Moreover, PSSI appointed Nova as the coach of Indonesia's U-17 team one year ago, driven by the determination to establish continuity between the junior and senior teams. This demonstrates that Nova is the local coach who understands Shin the best.

Shin's inspiration has also been implemented by Nova in his first two tournaments of 2024, namely the 2024 AFF U-16 Cup and the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers. Similar to Shin, Nova also applied a defensive tactic relying on a 5-4-1 formation in the defensive system, then transitioned to a 3-2-5 scheme when attacking the opponent's defense.

From the two tournaments, Nova also emphasized nearly the same gameplay objectives as his "mentor." Both prioritize defensive balance as the central axis of the game. With a solid defensive line, all goals become achievable.

We have prepared everything for all players, both mentally, technically and strategically.

It is not surprising that Indonesia entered the qualification round for the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup with the distinction of being a team that did not concede any goals. Only two teams remained unbeaten in the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers, namely Indonesia and Uzbekistan (Group E).

Although the "Garuda Muda" squad conceded four goals in three friendly matches ahead of the U-17 Asian Cup, this should not serve as a benchmark for the defensive quality of Evandra Florasta and his teammates. This is because Nova has been experimenting with formations and player lineups to refine each player's understanding of executing the desired game plan.

Nova hopes that his team will be able to give their best performance since the first match in Group C. The coach, who once defended the Indonesian national team in 12 matches when he was still an active player, emphasized that the Garuda Muda's preparations have been completed after more than a month of undergoing a training camp, including in Dubai, Ei Arab Emirates, and Jeddah.

"We have prepared everything for all players, both mentally, technically, and strategically. I hope all players are able to give their best performance in all matches (U-17 Asian Cup)," said Nova in a statement on the Asian Football Confederation website, Thursday (3/4/2025).

Indonesia must not lose points in the three Group C games to open up the chance to advance to the quarter-finals and win a ticket to the 2025 Qatar U-17 World Cup in November. The main key to the Garuda Muda squad's reactive play is the effectiveness of the attack line.

Indonesia has the opportunity to move more in its own zone in the game against South Korea. Therefore, the fast counter-attack tactic must be maximized. The speed of the three main attackers, namely Zahaby Gholy, Mierza Fijatullah, and Fadly Alberto, is the hope for Garuda Muda to surprise the Taegeuk Troops who have the status of two-time champions of the U-17 Asian Cup.

In addition, Nova will also rely on attacks from both wings. That makes the role of the full-back very important, one of which is occupied by Mathew Baker. Not only to thicken the defense, the full-backs will also stand in line with the attacking trio in the positive transition process.

South Korea U-17 coach Baek Ki-tae is reluctant to underestimate Indonesia. According to him, all teams in Group C have equal quality. Baek is even worried about the tension and nervousness that will surround his team in the first match of the 2025 U-17 Asian Cup.

On the other hand, Baek does not want his team to be stuck with one particular formation. He revealed that he has prepared a number of tactics to adapt to the opponent's strengths.

"We want to secure a place in the 2025 U-17 World Cup by achieving the best results in the U-17 Asian Cup. To do that, we must have a mindset that all teams can beat each other so that we remain alert in every match," Baek said as reported by the AFC website.

He added, "I hope the players quickly adapt to the atmosphere in the U-17 Asian Cup, so they don't feel tense and stiff when playing the first match. We are also still weak in attack effectiveness. Hopefully that problem will not happen again in the match against Indonesia."

One of South Korea's mainstay players in pursuing a third title in the U-17 Asian Cup and maintaining the tradition of qualifying for the U-17 Asian Cup in three consecutive editions is Kim Ye-geon, an attacking midfielder. The player with the number 10 on his back is a potential new phenomenon in South Korean football.

Since childhood, his ball skills have been recognized. He has also been involved in South Korean pop culture by being a guest star on one of the talent search shows. Now, Kim has defended the junior team of the giant South Korean club, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Kim said he was used to the pressure of being labeled a “promising prospect” from an early age. He is determined to make the 2025 U-17 Asian Cup a chance to prove his quality.

"I want to prove myself through this Asian Cup (U-17). I will surprise the fans when they see my game. I hope this event is the beginning of a significant role for the national team in the future," Kim told the South Korean Football Association (KFA) website.