Assyabaab scores key win in league quarters<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Assyabaab SGS Surabaya found it had made the
\nright decision in dropping its plan to boycott the Indonesian
\nLeague quarterfinals, scoring a crucial 2-1 victory over Medan
\nJaya in their Group B match yesterday.<\/p>\n
The win, earned by Assyabaab during an error-ridden game, gave
\nthe Indonesian soccer enthusiasts who filled the Senayan stadium
\na sort of consolation after they watched all the previous three
\nopening matches end in uninspired draws.<\/p>\n
In the other Group B match yesterday, amateur champion Persib
\nBandung, despite superb attacking football, scraped to a
\ndisappointing goalless draw against Petrokimia Putra. No teams
\nwrapped up their Group A openers on Wednesday with a win.<\/p>\n
Assyabaab, which badly needed a victory to revamp its
\nreputation following a suspension imposed on Gunung Ginting last
\nweek, wasted no time in building up an all-out assault on Abdi
\nKusno's goal post in the early minutes.<\/p>\n
Rusdi Bahalwan's men did not wait too long to reap the rewards
\nof their unceasing trials when veteran libero Jaya Hartono
\nsnatched a cross from Suteja, blasting a short-range volley past
\na stranded Abdi in the 12th minute.<\/p>\n
Assyabaab players threatened to pull out of the competition on
\nTuesday in protest against Ginting's suspension for an indefinite
\nperiod.<\/p>\n
Former national player Abdul Rachman Gurning orchestrated
\nMedan Jaya's fight-back. It was clear that the North Sumatra
\nside, powered by import players Cinca Marius, Jijie Claudio and
\nMakukula Kunayanga, took over the initiative in the rest of the
\nfirst half.<\/p>\n
The non-stop efforts paid off when Azwardin Lubis scored the
\nequalizer for Medan in the 35th, also from short-range. Unguarded
\nAzwardin headed home the ball bounced off goalkeeper Kuswo during
\na scramble.<\/p>\n
Both sides failed to display well-knit teamwork in the second
\nhalf. Instead, they missed a number of scoring chances and relied
\nheavily on sliding tackles for ball possession.<\/p>\n
Disappointing<\/p>\n
Pelita Jaya foreign stars Roger Milla and Maboang Kessack and
\ntheir fellows from Petrokimia Jackson Tiago, Derryl Sinnerine and
\nCarlos de Melo, joined the 40,000 crowd who looked disappointed
\nwith the error-ridden soccer.<\/p>\n
As if to add insult to injury, referee Zulkifli Chaniago was
\nthe constant target of the public jeers for making contradictory
\ndecisions to his linesmen.<\/p>\n
Captain Putut Wijanarko gained victory for Assyabaab 11
\nminutes from time when he slotted a curled cross from left winger
\nSutamto.<\/p>\n
\"It feels great to beat a team which fielded foreign players.
\nWe managed to win despite the fact that we bank totally on local
\nplayers,\" coach Rusdi Bahalwan said.<\/p>\n
Persib players clearly received most of the cheers from the
\ncrowd, but they failed to find the top form which allowed them to
\nhold Pelita Jaya in their final Western Division match on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Persib's fast-running striker Sutiono made a run up the left
\nside and surprised Petrokimia's goalie Darryl Sinnerine with a
\nshot that forced him to dive for the save at his left post.<\/p>\n
Persib had another chance midway to the second half when Yusuf
\nBachtiar beat Petrokimia's defenders, but his attempt from 20
\nmeters was controlled by Sinnerine.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/assyabaab-scores-key-win-in-league-quarters-1447893297",
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