August 4, 2026 | 07:30 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesian national football team coach John Herdman stated that his team's formation must be improved for their upcoming matches in the 2026 AFF Cup group stage.
"I think for us, we have to maintain a tight formation. Whether we're attacking or defending, the formation must remain tight," said John Herdman in a press conference after the match against Vietnam at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, West Java, on Monday.
He made this statement in response to his evaluation of his team's performance following their 0-3 defeat to Vietnam in their Group A match in the 2026 AFF Cup.
Herdman explained that in addition to a tight formation, game management must also be improved, starting from the coach, not the players, in managing the match.
In the match against Vietnam, he said, his team wanted to play an attacking game, flowing play to the opponent's front line or defense.
He didn't want to be a team that only defended in their own half and relied on counterattacks, even though such a strategy requires courage and carries its own risks.
"We just have to learn the right moments to keep our defense tight when attacked and our defensive transitions better organized," he said.
Herdman added that the key is better game management and the team's defensive transitions. He said these two aspects will be brought to bear when they visit Singapore on August 7.
"We have to stay united because we still have one more match to play, and it's a big one," he said.
The Garuda squad's loss to Vietnam was their first in the group stage after two consecutive wins over Cambodia (5-1) and Timor Leste (3-0).
Next, Indonesia will play their final group stage match against Singapore, a crucial match that will determine their fate in advancing to the semifinals of the 2026 AFF Suzuki Cup.
Read: Vietnam Beats Indonesia 3-0 in 2026 AFF Cup Group A
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