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Indonesia's AFF Cup Win a Starting Point, Coach Herdman Says

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Indonesian national team coach John Herdman described the 5-1 victory over Cambodia in the AFF Cup as a starting point, emphasizing areas for improvement.
  • Herdman praised the team's tactical execution and discipline in their first match together as a squad.
  • The team will focus on their next match against Timor Leste, maintaining a one-game-at-a-time mindset.

Indonesian national team head coach John Herdman views the team's decisive 5-1 victory over Cambodia in their opening AFF Cup match as a foundational step. While acknowledging the squad's tactical execution and progress, Herdman stressed that significant improvements are still necessary before their upcoming fixtures.

We have taken some good steps tactically, but of course, there are still some gaps that we need to keep improving.

— John HerdmanAssessing the team's performance after the victory over Cambodia.

The Garuda squad secured a dominant win at Pakansari Stadium in Bogor, West Java, marking only the second time the team had played together. Herdman commended the players for successfully implementing the game plan, noting their strong tactical discipline and structure throughout the match. "I am proud of the tactical clarity and discipline they showed tonight," Herdman stated, while also acknowledging the ongoing nature of tournament football where each match presents unique challenges.

I am proud of the tactical clarity and discipline they showed tonight. But we still have the next game ahead of us. Tournament football is always different in every match.

— John HerdmanCommenting on the team's execution and the challenges of tournament play.

Looking ahead, Indonesia is set to face Timor Leste in their second Group A game. Herdman anticipates a difficult contest, particularly given the travel involved to Thailand. He expects Timor Leste to be a determined opponent, eager to prove themselves after a recent loss to Singapore. The Indonesian team, however, is adopting a strict one-game-at-a-time approach.

It will be a tough match against a team that is hurting after a loss and surely wants to prove something.

— John HerdmanAnticipating the difficulty of the upcoming match against Timor Leste.

Herdman emphasized that the primary objective for the Cambodia match was to establish the team's tactical identity, developed during their training camp. "Today, our focus was to implement the team's tactical identity and bring the hard work results from the past three weeks into this match," he explained. He also lauded the players' teamwork, determination, and evident enjoyment of the game, expressing great satisfaction with the team's strong start to the tournament.

Today, our focus was to implement the team's tactical identity and bring the hard work results from the past three weeks into this match.

— John HerdmanExplaining the team's objective during the match against Cambodia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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