Coach Riedl: Playing it clean and attacking.

(Baonghean.vn) - Coach Riedl openly stated: “The Vietnamese team is very strong, and they have almost no notable weaknesses for us to exploit. However, I will take a risk with my gamble.” The Indonesian team, with their abundant physical strength, will take advantage of the poor condition of the Pakansari stadium and the possibility of heavy rain to proactively play a high-pressure game, counteracting Vietnam's short passing and quick one-two combinations..

Playing at home and knowing the visiting team very well, Coach Riedl didn't hide his feelings when he told the Jakarta Globe: "The Vietnamese team is very strong and they have almost no notable weaknesses for us to exploit. Even so, I will take a risk with my gamble." As a seasoned coach, Riedl understands that facing a Vietnamese team with such a versatile playing style, the formation they use is completely irrelevant. The key is knowing what players Indonesia has at their disposal to implement their tactical plan in order to succeed.

Striker Solossa, a dangerous attacking threat for the Indonesian national team.

It must be said that coach Riedl reads the game quite well. Although Indonesia usually plays a balanced game with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, they adapt their tactics at different times. In the opening match against Thailand, after conceding two goals in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Indonesian players switched to a 4-3-3 formation, playing an attacking game and leveling the score at 2-2. The fact that they conceded two more goals afterwards was mainly due to individual errors in the defense.

In the 2-2 draw against hosts Philippines, Coach Riedl employed a 4-4-2 formation with two strikers to impose his style of play. In the crucial 2-1 victory against Singapore, he initially used a 4-2-3-1 formation, but after falling behind, he switched to a 4-3-3, and then reverted to the effective 4-2-3-1 formation after scoring two goals.

It's not difficult to predict that Indonesia will attack Vietnam with a 4-3-3 formation, with veteran captain Boaz Solossa, 30 years old, playing as the furthest forward. Once they score and need to maintain safety, they will revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation. To neutralize Xuan Truong, midfielder Stefano Lilipaly will likely be pushed higher up the pitch to force Vietnam's key player to drop deeper.

If that happens, Xuan Truong will only be able to initiate attacks with long passes of 20-30 meters. At that point, the creativity and unpredictability of the Vietnamese team will be somewhat reduced. The Indonesian team, with their abundant physical strength, will take advantage of the poor condition of the Pakansari stadium and the likely heavy rain to proactively play a pressing game, counteracting Vietnam's short passing and quick one-two combinations.

Xuan Truong is the Vietnamese player that coach Riedl is most interested in.

While Indonesia boasts the strongest attack in the tournament, their defense is considered a "fatal flaw," having conceded 7 goals in just 3 matches. Even without center-backs Fachrudin Aryanto and Rudolof Basna, coach Riedl still has three other central defenders at his disposal: Gunawan Dwi Cahyo, Hansamu Yama, and Manahati Lestusen.

To counter Vietnam's attack, which features many players with excellent individual skills such as Thanh Luong, Van Quyet, and Van Toan, Coach Riedl will prioritize players with good agility in the central defender position. In our opinion, the most likely choices will be Gunawan Dwi Cahyo and Hansamu Yama.

Despite reaching the final four times in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2010, Indonesia has never won the AFF Cup. To win the 2016 AFF Cup, they have no other option but to defeat a tough opponent – ​​the Vietnamese national team. The Indonesian team will attack; we'll wait and see what happens!

AT