The Indonesia U-20 national team had to acknowledge the strength of their opponents, Italy U-21, in the matchday 5 duel of Group B in the Tournoi Maurice Revello Tournament, also known as the Toulon Cup 2024. The Young Garuda lost 0-1 in a match played at Stade Marcel Roustan on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at night WIB.
Coach Indra Sjafri’s squad aimed to conclude the tournament on a positive note, despite recognizing that the opposing team was at a higher level. This match marked the final game for Indonesia U-20, who had previously suffered four consecutive defeats. The primary goal of Indonesia’s participation in this tournament was to gauge the team’s strength, rather than to chase the trophy.
Italy U-21 displayed an aggressive game from the start, dominating possession with 70% of the ball, while the Indonesian national team managed only 30%. Despite this disparity, Indonesia U-20 succeeded in managing Italy’s attacks relatively well.
Italy created several opportunities from outside the penalty box and from corner kicks, yet these chances were not converted into goals. Indonesia, relying on counter-attacks, posed some threats to Italy U-21’s defense but their attempts often broke down as they approached the penalty area.
In the 20th minute, Indonesia had their first significant chance through a free kick by Mauresmi Hinoke, but it was successfully saved by Filippo Rinaldi. Italy U-21 eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Antonio Raimondo escaped his marker and slotted the ball into the corner of the net.
Italy U-21 continued to dominate the match in the second half. Several attacks from Antonio Raimondo and his teammates were thwarted by the Indonesian defense. In the 51st minute, Italy had a golden opportunity to double their lead from a free kick just outside the penalty area, but Cristian Volpato’s shot went over the crossbar.
Ikram Algiffari made a crucial save in the 60th minute, stopping a well-placed shot from Raimondo. The Young Garuda briefly relieved the pressure in the 64th minute, with a build-up play from the back that penetrated Italy’s defense, though Arkhan Kaka failed to capitalize on the chance in the penalty box.
Indonesia U-20 threatened again in the 81st minute with a run and shot by Aprlyansyah Abdulmanan, but Rinaldi made another save. No further goals were scored, and the match ended 1-0 in favor of Italy U-21.
Coach Indra Sjafri continued to assess the strengths of several players. Notable performances came from Mauresmi Hinoke and Arkhan Kaka. This defeat marked the fifth consecutive loss for Indonesia U-20 in the Toulon Cup 2024. The Young Garuda finished at the bottom of Group B with zero points but gained valuable experience that could help improve future performances.
Lineups
ITALY U-21 (3-1-4-2): Rinaldi; Fontanarosa, Ghilardi, Bertola; Faticanti; Pisilli, Zuccon, Pieragnolo, Zanotti; Raimondo, Volpato
Subs-in: Turicchia, Tongya, Esposito, Veroli, Cerri
Coach: Carmine Nunziata
INDONESIA U-20 (5-4-1): Algiffari; Pamungkas, Razak, Priyatna, Hamzah, Hidayat; Hinoke, Firmansyah, Saputrananto, Abdulmanan; Kaka
Subs-in: Geypens, Da-bin, Jardim, Raven, Kamuru
Coach: Indra Sjafri
Indonesia U-20 National Team Results in the Toulon Cup 2024
- 04/06/2024 – Indonesia U-20 vs Ukraine U-23: Score 0-3
- 06/06/2024 – Indonesia U-20 vs Panama U-23: Score 0-4
- 08/06/2024 – Japan U-19 vs Indonesia U-20: Score 4-1
- 12/06/2024 – Italy U-21 vs Indonesia U-20: Score 1-0
This string of defeats highlights that the Indonesia U-20 national team still has much work to do. Nevertheless, the valuable experiences from this tournament are expected to serve as an important asset for the Young Garuda in future competitions.
