Coming up against reigning champions Vietnam in their penultimate Group B match at AFF Suzuki Cup 2020, and having claimed victories in their previous two matches, a point was always going to be a decent result for Indonesia.
And they duly achieved that with a gritty display at Singapore's Bishan Stadium on Wednesday, overcoming the loss of goalkeeper Ernando Ari just before kickoff to eke out a 0-0 draw that leaves the qualification picture delicately poised ahead of Sunday's final round of games.
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As things stand, Indonesia and Vietnam occupy the top two spots in Group B tied on seven points and are headed for the semifinals, while Malaysia are a point off the pace in third.
The Vietnamese should feel reasonably confident in their prospects given they sign off from the group stage with a game they should win against Cambodia, although there is a possibility they could still miss out in the event of an unthinkable defeat.
But there will definitely be a winner-takes-all contest on Sunday between Indonesia and Malaysia, with the high stakes adding to what is already a fierce and storied rivalry between the two sides.
Speaking after the match, Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong revealed: "Before we reached the stadium, I told the players that game plan was to not lose the match. The minimum was to get the one point.
"Vietnam are still a very good team and we might not be as strong as them yet, so it was important for the players to show strong mentality. Overall, I think it worked out quite well and I'm satisfied with the result."
Meanwhile, although Vietnam coach Park Hang-seo might have been the more disappointed of the two tacticians with the draw given his side had almost 70 per cent of the possession, he remained upbeat especially given Indonesia and Malaysia still have to face off at the weekend.
"Neither Malaysia nor Indonesia have qualified for the semifinals," said the South Korea.
"The goal difference between us and Indonesia is also just one goal. For us, it's just about trying our best to win the game against Cambodia."