Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesia defender Justin Hubner said Thom Haye’s red card was a key moment in the 0-0 draw against Malaysia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup on Monday, September 28.
Indonesia started the match aggressively at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Justin Hubner even scored early, but the goal was ruled out after the referee found a foul in the build-up.
Indonesia then lost Haye in the 37th minute. The midfielder initially received a yellow card for his challenge on Malaysia’s Arif Aiman, but the referee changed the decision to a straight red after a VAR review.
Hubner said Indonesia had controlled the match before the red card. Playing with 10 men then made it much harder for the team to attack.
“I think we dominated the game until the red card. When we received the red card, it felt very difficult for us to go forward and attack,” Hubner said after the match.
Despite being down a player, Indonesia managed to keep Malaysia from scoring. Goalkeeper Maarten Paes made several important saves, while Hubner also made a late goal-line clearance.
“It is always difficult to play with 10 men, but if you look at how we defended in the end, I think the team deserves a lot of praise,” Hubner said.
“I think everyone wants to see us win, but if we can defend like this, no team will be able to score against us,” he added.
The draw left Indonesia and Malaysia with four points each after two Group A matches. Malaysia leads the group on goal difference, while Indonesia sits second.
Indonesia will face Bangladesh in its final group match on Thursday, October 1. On the same day, Malaysia will meet Singapore.
The results of both matches will determine which teams advance from Group A to the final stage of the FIFA ASEAN Cup.
