Indonesia played three group stage matches in the ASEAN Cup 2026, securing victories of 5-1 against Cambodia and 3-0 against Timor Leste, before suffering a 0-3 defeat to Vietnam. In each match, coach John Herdman made six changes to the starting lineup compared to the previous game. According to CNN Indonesia, a significant reason for the heavy loss to Vietnam was Herdman's continuous squad rotation, rather than maintaining the effective core lineup from the opening match.

Nguyen Xuan Son scored the third goal in Vietnam's 3-0 victory over Indonesia in the fourth round of Group A, ASEAN Cup 2026, at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, Indonesia, on 3/8. Photo: Duc Dong

The newspaper highlighted Indonesia's strongest performance in their 5-1 win against Cambodia. In that match, Herdman deployed what was considered his optimal lineup: Nadeo Argawinata in goal, a three-man defense of Shayne Pattynama, Rizky Ridho, and Sandy Walsh. The midfield trio of Marc Klok, Thom Haye, and Ivar Jenner controlled the game, while Eliano Reijnders and Dony Tri Pamungkas operated on the wings. Up front, Beckham Putra partnered with Mitchell Baker.

This particular lineup, the newspaper noted, achieved a balance between offense and defense. Indonesia established a 3-0 lead by halftime and ultimately secured a dominant 5-1 victory over Cambodia.

For the match against Timor Leste, Herdman began rotating his squad. Cahya Supriadi started as goalkeeper instead of Nadeo, and the three central defenders were completely changed, featuring Wahyu Prasetyo, Jordi Amat, and Brian Fatari. Tim Geypens appeared on the left wing, and Rayhan Hanan partnered Mitchell Baker in attack.

These alterations, the newspaper argued, prevented Indonesia from playing as smoothly as they did in the opening match. The host nation struggled in the first half and only managed a 3-0 win after Herdman made a series of personnel adjustments in the second half.

Main developments of the match.

Against Vietnam, the Canadian coach continued his rotation, making six changes from the lineup that defeated Timor Leste. Nadeo returned to goal, Jordi Amat replaced Sandy Walsh as a wide center-back, and Ragnar Oratmangoen was brought in to partner Mitchell Baker up front, replacing Beckham Putra.

"Unfortunately, this lineup did not perform as expected", the Indonesian newspaper commented. "Indonesia's defense was chaotic. Looking at the past three matches, the lineup from the opening match against Cambodia remains the most effective option. Rizky Ridho performs best as the central defender, and Beckham Putra deserves to return to the starting lineup after his impressive performance in the opening match." Indonesia needs to win its final group match against Singapore to advance. "To regain their image when facing Singapore, John Herdman should stop experimenting and return to the lineup that has proven effective", the newspaper advised.

Although Indonesia made six changes in both the Timor Leste and Vietnam matches, a comparison of their starting lineups against Vietnam and Cambodia reveals only two differences. In the match against Vietnam, center-back Amat and forward Oratmangoen started instead of Walsh and Putra.

Oratmangoen, born in the Netherlands, frequently starts even when Indonesia fields its strongest squad during FIFA Days. Putra, on the other hand, is a local player. Amat is a naturalized center-back without Indonesian heritage, while Walsh is of Indonesian - Irish descent.

Quang Hai made his 53rd appearance as Vietnam defeated Indonesia 3-0 in the fourth round of Group A, ASEAN Cup 2026, at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, Indonesia on 3/8/2026. Photo: Duc Dong

In contrast to the media's view, Gabe Tan, an ESPN reporter and Asian football expert, attributed Indonesia's defeat to technical aspects, not personnel. Speaking to Kompas, Tan expressed surprise at the result, as Indonesia had been considered slightly superior before the match due to home advantage, good form from the first two matches, and overall squad quality.

According to Tan, the turning point occurred within the first 15 minutes. Vietnam's two early goals gave them a significant advantage, forcing Indonesia to alter their approach. Coach Herdman also had to leave the stands for the pitch earlier than usual to address the situation.

Tan noted that Indonesia showed improvement at the start of the second half, pushing their lineup higher to seek an equalizer. However, the hosts failed to capitalize on the opportunities created, and Xuan Son's third goal ultimately extinguished all hopes of a comeback.

Assessing Vietnam's victory, Tan was impressed by Kim Sang-sik's tactical execution. "Vietnam executed their game plan very well", the Singaporean expert added. "The early goals helped them, but what's commendable is how they limited Indonesia's opportunities. They defended disciplinedly and punished their opponents whenever they had a chance. That's a perfect example of how to play away against a strong team."

He observed that Vietnam effectively limited the influence of Thom Haye, Indonesia's "orchestrator". Despite Indonesia frequently moving the ball to the right wing for Haye to organize attacks, the crosses and passes into the penalty area were mostly speculative and easily neutralized by Vietnam's defense. "Overall, Vietnam's strategy worked perfectly and yielded the desired results", Tan concluded.

Hoang An (according to CNN Indonesia, Kompas)