Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Cambodia U-19 coach Phea Sopheaktra admitted his team struggled against Indonesia’s set-piece tactics in their 2-0 defeat at the AFF U-19 Boys Championship 2024 on Saturday night  (20/7/2024) at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya.

Despite Cambodia’s solid five-man defense, Indonesia found success in the second half. Substitute Muhammad Kafiatur’s two corner assists led to goals from Kadek Arel in the 71st minute and Iqbal Gwijannge in the 86th minute.

Phea noted that while his team performed well overall, they had difficulty handling Indonesia’s physical set-piece play.

 “We tried various strategies but failed repeatedly. This is why we lost,” Phea said after the match, as quoted by antaranews.com.

He had adjusted his formation to a five-back setup, hoping to counter Indonesia’s attacking style. It was a shift from their previous 4-2-3-1 formation used against Timor Leste.

The defeat marked Cambodia’s second loss in the tournament, following a 2-3 defeat to Timor Leste. Despite the setback, Phea praised his players for their determination and effort.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)