SEAToday.com, Jakarta - PSSI Chairman, Erick Thohir praised the struggle of the U-20 national team which managed to beat the superior team with the status of the first FIFA ranking, Argentina U-20 with a score of 2-1 in the opening match of the mini tournament titled Seoul Earth On Us Cup 2024 in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday (28/8).

As cited from PSSI.org "This is a historic victory. I who watched the match saw the extraordinary struggle of our players. Moreover, they scored a comeback victory after falling behind. Really salute. Even though we can beat Argentina, a team that is ranked far above us, remember not to be arrogant or complacent," Erick Thohir said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Not only appreciating the phenomenal victory, Erick also praised the game of coach Indra Sjafri's foster children who were not afraid to fight a team as strong as Argentina. "I also think our defense is solid. Several times they were attacked, but they were able to get out of the pressure. Hopefully this will be an asset in terms of a good mentality as long as they remember, they still have a long way to go," he continued.

Yes, throughout the first 45 minutes, Indonesia actually excelled in terms of ball possession with a percentage of 65 percent compared to 35 percent. It's just that, the tight defense of Argentina made it difficult for Dony Tri Pamungkas et al to penetrate the defense of the Young Tango Team. Noted, Indonesia U-20 players were not given the opportunity to release kicks towards the Argentine goal. 

On the contrary, Argentina, which played a fast counter-attacking pattern, managed to take advantage of a golden opportunity to become a goal. The goal process occurred in the 17th minute.

Starting from a corner kick, the ball was then able to be countered by Indonesian players. But Rodrigo Ezequiel Stocco, who was in a free position, fired a hard kick from outside the penalty box. Rodrigo's ball was then passed by Mirko Juarez with a header that was able to trick goalkeeper Ikram Algiffari. 

In the 74th minute, Indonesia U-20 was surprisingly able to break into the Argentine goal. The goal process began with Mouri Ananda's free kick, which was successfully grabbed by Kadek Arel Priyatna. Ananda's penalty kick in the 82nd minute put Indonesia ahead, 2-1, and the score lasted until the final whistle.

Writer: Muhammad Hamdani