Last Monday, Pakansari Stadium in Bogor Regency, West Java, was filled with a sea of red. However, beneath the packed stands, the faces of tens of thousands of Indonesian supporters appeared blank.
They came to Pakansari with full hopes of watching the Indonesian national team defeat Vietnam and secure a ticket to the semifinals of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup.
Unfortunately, the opposite happened. Indonesia lost 0-3 to Vietnam. This wasn't just a defeat, but rather a confirmation that Indonesia was utterly outclassed throughout the 90 minutes.
Indonesia seemed like a different team, unable to replicate the same performances as the 5-1 thrashing of Cambodia and 0-3 defeats of Timor Leste. In this worst-case scenario, Indonesia was battered left and right by Vietnam. The defensive organization was in disarray, the midfield was unable to compete, while the attack was easy to read and monotonous.
Playing with a 3-4-2-1 formation when in possession and changing to a 5-4-1 when defending, Indonesia seemed to have difficulty building attacks from the bottom against Vietnam's high pressure.
The Golden Stars were already two goals up within the first 15 minutes through Nguyen Van Vi (6') and Nguyen Hai Long (15'). Both goals came from nearly identical patterns. Indonesia lost possession while building an attack, Vietnam won it back, and launched a swift attack that punished Indonesia's poor defensive coordination.
Both Van Vi and Hai Long's finishes were directed towards the near post, an area that goalkeeper Nadeo Argawinata should have prioritized. This was the third time Nadeo had conceded a goal through the near post, following Cambodia's previous goal through Sokmeng Chea.
When they needed goals, John Herdman's team's attacks focused on one pattern: relying too much on crosses.
Indonesia does have a tall striker in Mitchell Baker, who has scored four goals. However, their reliance on a single attacking pattern makes their game easy for opponents to anticipate.
Lapangbola statistics recorded Indonesia attempting 16 crosses throughout the match, but only three were on target. These figures illustrate the ineffectiveness of a strategy that is constantly repeated without variation.
