Three or Four Defenders, Kluivert?

The Indonesian national team will face two historic matches in pursuit of their greatest dream of reaching the 2026 World Cup. The matches against Saudi Arabia on October 8, 2025, and Iraq on October 11, 2025, are the closest steps towards the grandest stage of football on Earth.

In pursuit of that dream, the burden and responsibility lie on the shoulders of the Dutch coach, Patrick Kluivert. After failing to meet the expectations of the supporters of the "Garuda" squad to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup through the third round, Kluivert's remaining hope for genuine affection is to qualify from Saudi Arabia.

A significant question that looms over Kluivert is the defensive scheme that will be implemented during the 180 minutes of the "final" matches leading to the 2026 World Cup. In the four games managed by Jay Idzes and his teammates in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Kluivert tends to maintain the three-center-back tactic inherited from Shin Tae-yong, the South Korean tactician.

Despite achieving important victories over China and Bahrain with a flawless record, the defense of the three central defenders was utterly dismantled in the face of Australia and Japan. A total of 11 goals were scored by the two teams that qualified for the 23rd edition of the World Cup.

On the pitch, Kluivert's defensive formation is similar to Shin's. However, Kluivert employs a wider shape between players compared to Shin's much more compact approach.

Players have adapted very quickly to the new style of play.

The widening play style reminiscent of Kluivert was not accompanied by a balanced quantity of players on the flanks. Australia and Japan often had a numerical advantage in attacking situations against Indonesia's defense.

That situation became the focus of Kluivert's improvements in two friendly matches last September, against Taiwan and Lebanon. He introduced the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 tactics, which he is well acquainted with as someone who was born and raised in the Netherlands.

In this four-man defense, the two center-backs focus on defending the central lane. The two wing-backs provide reinforcement on the flanks, assisted by the two wingers in front of them. This collaboration has worked well, with the team keeping two clean sheets.

"Players have adapted very quickly to the new style of play. They understand what I ask and execute it very well," remarked Kluivert following the two exhibition games at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya, East Java.

Changes in the main formation certainly bring both hope and concern. The hope arises because Kluivert has the opportunity to present a better defensive game with new tactics. Meanwhile, the concern is due to the limited preparation time for the Garuda squad to face Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

The formation of four defenders is generally used by Shin when facing opponents of lower quality. Since the pre-2023 Asian Cup, the three-defender formation has provided a wealth of history for the journey of the Indonesian national team.

However, the current composition of Indonesian players should not have difficulty playing with four defenders, primarily the central defender duo. One of the central defender positions is certainly assigned to Jay Idzes.

The defender from Sassuolo, an Italian League club, has demonstrated an improvement in the quality of his performance. He has led Sassuolo to occupy a position in the top 10 until the sixth week of the Italian League.

Jay has played five consecutive matches from the kickoff to the final whistle. He has helped Sassuolo maintain a clean sheet in two games. Most recently, he delivered a clean sheet in Sassuolo's 1-0 victory over Hellas Verona on Saturday (4/10/2025).

So, who is worthy to accompany Jay?

The strongest name to become a new partner for Jay in the heart of the Garuda team's defense is Kevin Diks. Although Kevin's new club, Borussia Moechengladbach, is still struggling in the relegation zone of the German League, the 29-year-old player has already proven his transformation from a pure wing-back to a solid center-back.

Together with Gladbach, Kevin has played six matches in the German League. He participated in five matches as a starting player. Interestingly, he played three matches in the role of center-back in a four-defender formation at Gladbach.

In those three matches, he helped Gladbach maintain a clean sheet. The only time Gladbach conceded a goal was when Kevin played a key role in the heart of the defense. That moment occurred during the 0-1 defeat against VfB Stuttgart on August 30.

By adding the appearance alongside the Indonesian national team against Lebanon, Kevin has now played four times as a partner in the center-back position at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season. As a result, they have not conceded in three matches.

"I can play in any defensive position depending on the team's needs. Right now, I feel most comfortable playing in the center of defense," said Kevin, who has six caps for the Indonesian national team, as quoted by Bild last September.

In addition to those two players, Kluivert still has Justin Hubner, who regularly plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch League. After spending three consecutive matches on the bench for Fortuna following the international break in September, Justin was once again trusted to play against Volendam on October 4th.

Coming on as a substitute in the 14th minute, Justin helped Fortuna secure a victory without conceding a goal. An average of 1.7 interceptions per match and three clearances per game are standout statistics for Justin compared to the available center-back options in the Garuda squad.

Kluivert also still has the central defensive duo of Persija Jakarta, Rizky Ridho and Jordi Amat. The quality and international experience of both are beyond doubt. Moreover, Ridho and Jordi have played together in guarding the defense of "Macan Kemayoran," the nickname of Persija, in the BRI Super League 2025-2026 for 620 minutes.

However, the key to the solidity of the national team's defense with a four-back scheme does not solely rely on the performance of the two central defenders who fortify the defense. The presence of two defensive midfielders is also very important.

Joey Pelupessy and Nathan Tjoe-A-On will also play important roles in maintaining the defense of the Garuda squad. They serve as the first line of defense against opposing attacks before they enter the Indonesian penalty area.

With the quality of players who have careers in Europe, Indonesia's defense must perform better to keep the path to the World Cup wide open. In fact, this is the best moment for Garuda to defeat the "Green Falcons," as they are called in Saudi Arabia, for the first time in their "nest."