TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian U-23 national team coach Gerald Vanenburg has acknowledged the lack of effectiveness in his team’s attacking line during the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup.
Despite Indonesia’s narrow 1-0 win over the Philippines in their second Group A match at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, on Friday, July 19, 2025, he remained critical of missed opportunities.
“Today’s final score was 1-0, but I believe we could have scored three or four goals. That’s not to underestimate our opponents, who are a good team with quality players. But we played very well today,” said the Dutch coach during a post-match press conference.
Indonesia’s lone goal came from an own goal by Filipino defender Jaime Rosquillo. The win pushed Indonesia to the top of Group A with six points from two matches. Vanenburg felt that the team should have scored more, considering their dominance and the number of chances created.
He emphasized that the squad has no problem producing chances, but still lacks finishing instinct. “If you don’t create chances, you won’t score. But today, we had plenty. That’s what matters. The goals will eventually come,” he added.
Even so, Vanenburg praised the overall performance of his squad. “I think today we had eleven Man of the Match players. They worked very hard and received great support. Excellent performance,” he said.
Indonesia is set to play its final group-stage match against Malaysia on Monday, July 21, 2025.
Football Association of Indonesia Chairperson Erick Thohir also called for more clinical finishing from the national team. He pointed out that Indonesia’s only goal came from a defensive error by the Philippines while attempting to block a throw-in from Robi Darwis.
“The goal we scored was actually an own goal,” he noted.
In the match, Indonesia controlled 66 percent of possession and created 17 chances, with seven of them on target. In comparison, the Philippines only managed four attempts. “We certainly hope to see more sharpness in the final third,” said Erick.
Despite the number of attempts, Indonesia failed to find the net from open play, partly due to the impressive performance of 18-year-old Filipino goalkeeper Nicholas Guimaraes. “We have to appreciate the Filipino goalkeeper; he was excellent,” Erick added.
Although he criticized the attack, Erick expressed gratitude for the victory, which strengthens Indonesia’s chances of reaching the semifinals. “At the end of the day, a win is a win. We got the three points, and now we must focus on the next match against Malaysia,” he said.
Erick also reminded the public not to take the team’s earlier 8-0 win over Brunei Darussalam as a benchmark.
“The fact that the Philippines could still launch counterattacks until the final minutes shows why teamwork and fighting spirit throughout the match are essential,” he concluded.
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