The defeat at Thailand’s Rayong Stadium soured the mood of millions of Indonesians, although the country's soccer association encouraged the junior national team Garuda Muda (Young Garuda) to keep their heads up as they geared up for even bigger competitions in the coming months.

Heading into Saturday’s final, hopes were high among fans that the team could replicate its recent success at the South East Asian (SEA) Games.

The team had its first real chance in the 26^th minute when it was awarded a free kick. Rifky Dwi Septiawan’s shot, however, was blocked by Vietnamese goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan.

Minutes later, Indonesian goalkeeper Ernando Ari saved a Vietnamese penalty, preventing Indonesia from falling behind before the second half.

Another free kick, taken this time by Indonesia’s Ramadhan Sananta, hit the crossbar at the 76^th minute, causing the match to go into extra time. Another 30 minutes of soccer still failed to separate the two sides.

Indonesia lost the final in a 6-to-5 penalty shootout after a tame shot by keeper Ernando was blocked by his Vietnamese counterpart.

Indonesians took to social media to express their disappointment, with many soccer fans squarely blaming the referees’ decision-making, including contentious offsides calls and failures to punish acts of aggression from Vietnamese players.

But Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chief Erick Thohir said the U-23 team had proven that it was still among the best in the region, even though it was not playing at its full strength.

This was because numerous regulars for the national team had not managed to leave their club soccer responsibilities behind, as the AFF tournament took place in the middle of the country’s domestic soccer league season. Such players included Muhammad Fajar Fathur, who scored at the SEA Games final earlier this year, and Rizki Ridho Ramadhani.

“Despite the limited roster of players, we have proven that we are still, in fact, among the elite of Southeast Asia,” Erick, who is also state-owned enterprises (SOEs) minister, said on Sunday, as quoted by Tribunnews.com. “I am incredibly moved because with just 16 players, we still managed to fight to the last minute.”

He said the team’s experience playing in the AFF U-23 tournament could serve as a “foundation” for an even better showing at the qualifiers for the Asian U-23 Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

"This AFF U-23 is part of the process [...] because no team in football can be successful without having a clear system, road map and agenda,” Erick said. “The mentality of not being easily satisfied and always increasing our competitiveness is the key for the national team to perform at even higher levels.”

Since his appointment as PSSI chief in February, Erick has been spearheading widespread reforms of Indonesian soccer, particularly since the country’s sporting credentials hit an all-time low following the deadly Kanjuruhan Stadium stampede in East Java last year, which killed more than 130 people.

Making matters worse, Indonesia was stripped of its right to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup earlier this year, shortly after presidential hopeful Ganjar Pranowo and Bali Governor I Wayan Koster, both members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), voiced their opposition to the participation of the Israeli national team.

But it was also under Erick’s watch as PSSI chief that Indonesia managed to end its 32-year wait for a gold medal at the SEA Games in May. Indonesia beat Thailand 5-2 in a thrilling 120-minute final that saw referee Qasim Matar Ali Al Hatmi dish out 16 yellow cards and seven red cards to players and members of the coaching staff on both sides.