Indonesian national team head coach John Herdman has repeatedly said he cannot control the final outcome of a match, whether it is a win or a loss or whether they become champions or not.
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Match results are a mystery to Herdman. Many factors influence them, including refereeing decisions and the "lady luck" that is an integral part of football.
What he can control is motivating his players to give their all in every match, including in the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup final against Thailand at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium.
This is the only thing Herdman can promise to the supporters, who will make SUGBK a "full house" tonight after 67 thousand tickets were sold out.
"The team will enter the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium to give their all for the country," Herdman said at a pre-match press conference on Sunday.
This final marked Herdman's first for Indonesia, having been appointed Garuda captain 10 months earlier. It was not just for Herdman, but also for the majority of the Indonesian squad.
Herdman was enthusiastic about playing in his first final, but he reminded his squad to respect their opponents. He didn't want the final to be chaotic, causing his game plan to fail on the field.
Likewise with Kevin Diks, who in this tournament became the team captain to replace Jay Idzes who was absent due to injury.
The Borussia Moenchengladbach player asked his teammates not to get carried away by emotions and to maintain full focus throughout the match.
Garuda must not lose focus for even a moment. A match like a final has its own unique character, as a single moment can determine the outcome.
"Don't get carried away by emotions or anything, because you have to stay focused for 100 minutes, maybe even more. One moment can be decisive in a final. When two good teams face each other, one moment is enough, and one moment can decide the match," said the player who won three Danish league titles with FC Copenhagen.
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