Defeating Thailand, Indonesia won the U22 Southeast Asian Championship

• DNUM_CGZACZCABJ 22:23

Coach Indra Sjafri and his team defeated Thailand 2-1 in the regional tournament final on the evening of February 26.

Thailand and Indonesia entered the final on the evening of February 26 with an unbeaten record. Thailand only drew 0-0 with Vietnam in the group stage and defeated host Cambodia in the semi-finals after a penalty shootout. Meanwhile, Indonesia drew with Myanmar and Malaysia and beat Cambodia in the group stage, defeating Vietnam 1-0 in the semi-finals with a lucky goal and the help of the referee.
The Thai team was rated higher, but Indonesia was the team that started the match with excitement, continuously creating dangerous opportunities. In the fifth minute, Indonesia had a beautiful combination that put Osvaldo in a favorable position, but his shot from 5 meters away was excellently blocked by goalkeeper Korraphat.
After Thailand's shaky first few minutes, in the 19th minute, they had a dangerous attack and shot the ball past the goalkeeper. Fauzi (Indonesia) used his hand to block the ball on the goal line but referee Nguyen Hien Triet did not award a penalty.
Indonesia surprisingly defeated Thailand 2-1 to win the championship. Photo: Anh Le.
In the final minutes of the first half, Indonesia was still the better team, creating many problems but still could not penetrate Thailand's net.
In the second half, Thailand pushed up their formation to attack continuously. In the 57th minute, they made their advantage concrete with a goal. From a free kick, the ball was hung high for captain Saringkan to jump high and head the ball into the Indonesian net.
The advantage of the players in blue did not last long. Just two minutes after taking the lead, they conceded a goal. Just like the goal against Vietnam in the semi-final, luck was on Indonesia's side when Sani Fauzi's shot from outside the penalty area hit the Thai defender and changed direction into the net.
In the 64th minute, Indonesia took the lead. From the free kick, the ball was crossed into the penalty area for striker Osvaldo to head back, goalkeeper Korraphat touched the ball but still could not save Thailand.
Trọng tài Hiền Triết rút thẻ đuổi cầu thủ Indonesia ở phút cuối trận. Ảnh: Anh Giang.
Referee Hien Triet sent off an Indonesian player in the final minute of the match. Photo: Anh Giang.
After taking the lead, Indonesia returned to their familiar defensive counter-attacking style. Coach Indra Sjafri's players did not hesitate to play rough to limit Thailand's efforts. Referee Nguyen Hien Triet had to show several yellow cards and a red card in the 89th minute to send off Bagas Adi for a two-footed tackle on a Thai player.
Despite losing a player, Indonesia still maintained a 2-1 victory to win the U22 regional championship for the first time.