The Bright Light of the “Young Garuda” Back Line

The final resolution has been the most noticeable weakness of the Indonesian U-23 football team throughout the ASEAN Championship. However, this does not mean that the team, coached by Gerald Vanenburg, lacks commendable achievements. While the front line has been ineffective, the opposite situation has occurred in the back line. After completing the group stage, Indonesia's goal has yet to be breached.

The legendary manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, once stated a phrase that ultimately became something of an old adage in the English Premier League. According to Ferguson, attacking allows a team to win matches. However, a solid defense is required to win a championship.

That old adage seemed to gain its validity when Jose Mourinho delivered a treble with Inter Milan in 2010. Inter dominated Europe thanks to a defensive approach that later became known as the bus parking tactic. Through a solid defense, Inter frustrated their opponents and then punished them with counter-attack schemes.

The Indonesian U-23 football team can refer to the success of Inter during the Mourinho era. The "Garuda Muda" has so far maintained a clean sheet in three group stage matches of the ASEAN U-23 Championship. In the final match of Group A, Indonesia drew 0-0 with Malaysia on Monday (21/7/2025) at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Keeping clean sheets in three matches is a positive achievement amid criticism of the attacking line's subpar performance against a team of a higher quality than Brunei Darussalam. "I think we worked very hard. Again, a clean sheet. That's praise for the defense, but also for the entire team who gave their all today," said Indonesia U-23 coach Gerald Vanenburg after the match against Malaysia.

The duo of Kakang Rudianto and Kadek Arel is able to provide stability in the backline. The experience of these two defenders at the senior level with their clubs and the national team influences their style of play. When under pressure or during a scramble in front of the goal, Kadek and Kakang are adept at reading the direction of the attack. They also perform solidly in thwarting the opponent's attempts to build an attack.

Among all lines of "Garuda Muda," the defense stands out as a position with very good depth. In addition to Kadek and Kakang, Vanenburg also has Muhammad Ferarri and Brandon Scheunemann. These experienced center-backs are further strengthened by the performance of the wing-backs. Alfharezzi Buffon and Dony Tri Pamungkas have performed exceptionally well, willingly contributing to the pressing scheme from the front.

The mobility of Indonesia's dynamic wing backs has repeatedly been able to dismantle the opponent's defense. In this regard, Achmad Maulana, who competes with Alfharezzi on the right wing, deserves recognition. His maneuvers in supporting the attack have repeatedly troubled Malaysia's defense. Jens Raven's golden opportunity began with Maulana's bravery in surpassing his opponent.

"We indeed maintained ball possession for as long as possible and did not easily lose the ball. However, in the last 10 minutes, we hurriedly wanted to move forward. That is one of the things we need to evaluate," said the captain of the Indonesia U-23 team, Kadek Arel.

Having a solid defense line is like a blessing in disguise for Vanenburg. While the front line has yet to make an impact, the defenders performed well by not allowing the opponents to create opportunities. The Philippines and Malaysia were rendered ineffective, managing only one shot on target. Furthermore, Malaysia's chances were thwarted by the sturdy wall of "Garuda Muda." In total, there were five shots from the "Harimau Muda" that were blocked by the Indonesian defenders.

However, Indonesia's impressive defense would be meaningless without the sharpness of its forwards. Even Mourinho's Inter wouldn't have achieved the treble without the sharpness of their counter-attacking attack.

The ability to endure is indeed a fundamental requirement for teams competing for trophies. However, the ability to score goals is also crucial for winning matches. In this regard, Vanenburg must quickly find a solution to restore Raven's sharpness, who scored a double hat-trick against Brunei.

Heavy challenges await Indonesia in the semifinals. Looking at the performance of rivals in Groups B and C, Thailand emerges as the most likely opponent to be faced by Indonesia.

Indonesia's defense will once again be tested by Thailand, which is the third most productive team in this tournament. To reach the final, it is time for Indonesia's attacking line to be motivated to showcase an impressive performance, just like the defensive players.