Thailand Coach Predicts Indonesia Will Play Defensively In The 2020 AFF Cup Final

JAKARTA - Thailand coach, Alexandre Polking conveyed his predictions about Indonesia's game when he met his team in the first leg of the 2020 AFF Cup final. He said the Garuda squad would play with a defensive pattern.

This was revealed by Polking after observing Indonesia's game when they held Vietnam to a 0-0 draw in the third match of the group phase. According to Polking, Evand Dimas et al's game in terms of defense is the best.

"Indonesia has a very good defensive ability, which was most evident in the match against Vietnam in the group stage," Polking said at a press conference the day before the match.

"It's no coincidence that they are at the top of Group B. They will appear in the final by playing defensively," Polking added.

The first leg of the 2020 AFF Cup final will take place Wednesday, December 29 at the National Stadium, Singapore at 19.30 p.m. Indonesian Western Time (WIB). In this prestigious Southeast Asian football competition, Thailand is the favorite to win the AFF Cup 2020.

However, Mano, Polking's nickname, did not want to be lulled by this status. The Brazilian and German-blooded coach still asked Teerasil Dangda and his friends to fight hard in the two AFF Cup finals to bring the trophy back to Thailand.

"We won against Vietnam, but that doesn't mean we won the 2020 AFF Cup," said Mano.

"The Thai team has to start the final with the score 0-0. The team needs to be really focused from the start," he said.

This national team meeting with Thailand is the second time after the final in the 2016 AFF Cup. At that time, the War Elephant Troops managed to break the hopes of the Red and White Team who hoped to come home with a winning trophy.

The reason is, during the first leg in 2016 the national team won 2-1. But in the second leg, Thailand had a successful comeback with a score of 2-0 which made them champions.

However, this time, Indonesia's chances of winning are no less big. Under the tutelage of Shin Tae-yong, the Garuda Squad has proven a significant improvement in performance, which can also pump up the players' mentality to appear even crazier on the field.