Indonesia played more cautiously, trailing Vietnam 0-1.

JAKARTA, TUESDAY – Indonesia played more cautiously against Vietnam in the final round of the ASEAN U-23 Championship 2025 at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening (29/7/2025). The "Garuda Muda" team was temporarily trailing 0-1 at the end of the first half.

In this match, Indonesia's U-23 Coach Gerald Vanenburg employed a slightly different tactic compared to when he eliminated Thailand through a penalty shootout in the previous semifinal. He implemented a 5-4-1 formation, instead of the 4-3-3 that is his preferred choice.

This tactical adjustment is made to strengthen the wing and defensive sectors considering that Vietnam is a strong team that relies on the width of the field. In this formation, Vanenburg deployed three central defenders, namely Kakang Rudianto, M Ferrari, and Kadek Arel. Meanwhile, the wing-back positions were occupied by Dion Wibowo and Frengky D Missa.

The position in the midfield has not changed much, with Dony Tri Pamungkas and Dobi Darwis occupying the dual pivot roles. The positions of the wingers and the striker have also remained largely the same, filled by the trio of Rayhan Hannan, Rahmat Arjuna, and Jens Raven, who have collectively scored seven goals in the championship.

The change in tactics made Indonesia play more cautiously against Vietnam, the defending champion of the previous two editions, known for their aggressive and collective play. Although they dominated ball possession, with 58 percent compared to 42 percent, Indonesia created very few opportunities throughout the first half. They only made one shot on goal just before halftime.

Conversely, Vietnam appeared more tactical and at least twice threatened the goal of the host, guarded by goalkeeper M Ardiansyah. Indonesia's goal was breached in the 36th minute by midfielder Cong Phuong Nguyen, who capitalized on a corner kick from Vietnam.

The condition of being left behind forced Vanenburg to think creatively so that his team could break through the disciplined defense of Vietnam in the second half. The final match at GBK is essentially a "rematch" of the final of the same championship (formerly known as the AFF U-23 Cup) in the 2023 edition.

At that time, in the final match in Rayong, Thailand, Indonesia lost through a penalty shootout, 6-5, after both teams played to a 0-0 draw in normal time. That dramatic defeat still lingers in the Garuda Muda squad. Therefore, the host team is seeking revenge in this match.

Indonesia and Vietnam have met at least 13 times in the under-23 age group. Out of these encounters, Garuda Muda has won 5 times, drawn 1 time, and lost 7 times. Despite the unfavorable record in their meetings, Indonesia is actually favored as the defending champion in this duel.

In addition to playing at home with the support of tens of thousands of fanatic supporters, the quality of the Indonesian squad is better compared to Vietnam and other teams. This is evident from the market value of the Indonesian squad, which reaches IDR 54.7 billion according to Transfermarkt as of July 29, 2025. This squad value is the highest among the 10 participating teams. Meanwhile, the market value of the Vietnamese squad is IDR 39.8 billion.

The Garuda Muda ammunition is also better compared to their previous participation, which was in 2023. They are now reinforced by several outstanding young stars, such as Dony Tri Pamungkas, Arkhan Fikri, M Ferrari, and Jens Raven. Some of these players, like Dony, Arkhan, and Dony, even have experience strengthening the senior national team.

"I am very happy that we can reach the final. Competing against Vietnam is very difficult. However, I am confident that we will be able to win. I want to dedicate the consecutive ASEAN title to Indonesia," said Raven, who led Indonesia to win the ASEAN U-19 Championship trophy in 2024.

Raven is also the top scorer in the current ASEAN U-23 Championship with a total of 7 goals. He is almost certain to claim the Golden Boot title from the tournament. Alongside Raven, Indonesia has transformed into the most productive team while also conceding the fewest goals in this championship.

They scored a total of 10 goals, averaging 2.5 goals from the four matches that have taken place from the group stage to the semifinals. This productivity surpasses that of Vietnam, which has an average of 2.3 goals per match. Indonesia also recorded the highest number of shots among other teams, with 18 shots per match.

Regarding defense, Indonesia's goal has only been breached once, which occurred during the match against Thailand in the semifinals. In that match, Indonesia won through a penalty shootout, 7-6, after both teams drew 1-1 in regular time. Meanwhile, Vietnam's goal has been breached twice so far.