Indonesia national team coach: “I directed substitutions to take the penalty kick”
The turning point in the match between Vietnam National Team and Indonesia National Team in the second match of Group D of the 2024 Asian Cup Finals appeared in the 40th minute.
Central defender Thanh Binh, in an “immature” moment while chasing 20-year-old Dutch naturalized striker Rafael Struick, pulled his opponent’s shirt quite harshly in the penalty area, causing the Vietnamese team to be punished by the referee. Tajikistan blew a penalty.
Rafael Struick held the ball up to prepare to face goalkeeper Nguyen Filip. But then, following instructions from the field, Rafael Struick gave the ball back to captain Asnawi Mangkualam (No. 14) so this player coolly finished to open the score. This is also the only goal of the match, opening up a chance for Indonesia to advance and eliminating Vietnam from the tournament, regardless of the results of the final match taking place on January 24.
Coach Shin Tae-yong was satisfied with Indonesia’s performance once morest Vietnam. Photo: Getty
Responding to the press at the post-match press conference, Korean coach Shin Tae-yong expressed: “I have directed to change the 11m kicker. I think Asnawi is more confident. He has a very good feel for the ball. Fortunately, Asnawi successfully executed that landmark penalty.”
Looking at the match in general, the Indonesian coach said that both teams tried their best: “This was a good, quality match.
The Indonesian team was a bit luckier and won. I want to thank the many Indonesian fans present on the field. Their support gave us more motivation, helping us have a great performance.”
When reporters asked questions regarding changing the style of play in the second half, different from the way of promoting a strong attacking squad in the first half? Coach Shin Tae-yong replied:
“The Indonesian national team has a very young average age, regarding 24.8 years old, and is inexperienced. After taking the lead in the first half, the players easily get overexcited and want to continue to attack and score many goals. Win more, that’s something I have a hard time controlling from the field.
That’s why during the break between the two halves, I had to adjust my playing style differently in the second half, focusing more on defense and also to adapt to the tactical changes of the Vietnamese team.”
The close 1-0 victory over Vietnam National Team at the 2024 Asian Cup was also coach Shin Tae-yong’s first win following nearly 4 years of leading the U22 team, the Indonesian national team when facing the “golden star warriors”.
But coach Shin Tae-yong said he did not care much regarding this detail: “What I am satisfied with is that the students had a good performance. Moving forward, we will focus on the final match of the group stage once morest The Japanese team hopes to get the most favorable results to continue.”