MEDAN — The team showed championship spirit when they defeated Vietnam U-19 with a score of 2-1 in the final group stage match held at the Main Stadium of North Sumatra on Sunday evening. This dramatic victory ensured the Young Garuda’s confident advance to the semifinals.
The squad actually dominated from the start of the match. The support of thousands of fans filling the stadium provided a boost of enthusiasm for the young Indonesian players to continuously pressure Vietnam’s defense.
As a result, Indonesia managed to take the lead in the 21st minute. This goal put the Young Garuda ahead 1-0 until halftime.
Indonesia U-19 successfully defeated Vietnam 2-1 in a fierce match. Goals from Reno Salampessy and a penalty by Evandra secured the victory for the Young Garuda.
Entering the second half, Vietnam appeared more aggressive and took the initiative in attacks. Several opportunities were created, including a hard shot in the 51st minute that was still able to be handled by the Indonesian defense.
The match became even more intense when Vietnam equalized in the 73rd minute through a header by Quac Hoan, who capitalized on a corner kick situation. This goal made the score 1-1 and increased the tension of the match.
Indonesia, needing a win, continued to strive for the decisive goal. Hard play characterized the final minutes of the match before the momentum finally came in the 90th minute. The referee pointed to the spot after a Vietnamese player, Van Khan, committed a foul against Leeming inside the penalty box.
Evandra, who was trusted as the taker, executed his duty perfectly. The penalty kick he released could not be stopped by the Vietnamese goalkeeper and brought Indonesia back to a 2-1 lead.
The coach of the Indonesia U-19 national team, Nova Arianto, expressed appreciation for the development shown by his players throughout the match.
“The most important thing beyond the victory is that the players showed very good progress. They were able to perform optimally in this match. When we got the penalty in the final minutes, I saw the players’ mentality was very strong, and that is an important asset for the team,” said Nova.
Despite the victory, Nova admitted he still has several points of evaluation ahead of the semifinals.
“There are still some situations that need to be evaluated, especially when players choose to clear the ball to secure the situation. Additionally, Reno Salampessy’s condition will also be checked further. Hopefully, he can recover soon and be ready to play in the semifinals,” he said.
Meanwhile, the goalkeeper of the Indonesia U-19 national team, Dafa, assessed that the victory over Vietnam is an important result for the Young Garuda’s journey in this tournament.
“This victory is very good for the team. But we cannot be complacent. For the semifinals later, there is still much to improve, and the quality of the team’s play must continue to be enhanced,” said Dafa.
The victory over Vietnam is proof of the mental toughness of the Young Garuda. After briefly losing the lead in the second half, Indonesia was able to bounce back and secure three points through a penalty goal in the crucial minutes.
With this result, the Indonesia U-19 national team carries valuable momentum into the semifinals. The impressive performance, high fighting spirit, and strong mentality shown by the players are great hopes for the country’s football public to see the Young Garuda go further in this tournament.
Main Stadium of North Sumatra
Main Stadium of North Sumatra
Stadion Utama Sumatera Utara
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