Indonesia confident of second victory<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A winning start on Monday has given host
\nIndonesia a precious boost ahead of its second match in the
\nIndependence Cup soccer tournament against Chinese Taipei on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Despite a big chance of producing another goal feast in the
\ntournament, Indonesian coach Nandar Iskandar refused to play down
\nthe Taiwanese, who appeared less tactical in their 0-3 drubbing
\nby Iraq on Monday.<\/p>\n
Nandar has called up young players to form the national squad
\nand is using this tournament to observe their skills and teamwork
\nbefore competing in the 2000 Asian Cup in Lebanon from Oct. 12 to
\nOct. 29.<\/p>\n
"Half of the team are still young, so they feel the pressures
\nof playing in an international event. I hope tomorrow they will
\nimprove their game," Nandar told a media briefing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The match between Indonesia and Chinese Taipei will be played
\nat Senayan Stadium at 7 p.m. after Iraq takes on Myanmar at 5
\np.m.<\/p>\n
Nandar said he believed the Chinese Taipei team in its defeat
\nto Iraq had yet to play its best.<\/p>\n
"We want to win. Chinese Taipei may look weak, but we will be
\nextra cautious," he said.<\/p>\n
Myanmar, banking mostly on young players who are being groomed
\nfor the 2000 Tiger Cup tournament and 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA)
\nGames, took Indonesia to the limit before succumbing 1-4 on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Viewing the way the Myanmarese performed, many believe they
\ncould pose a threat to Indonesia in next year's SEA Games in
\nKuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Over the past decade, Indonesia has never won the SEA Games
\nsoccer gold medal. The country last took the bronze in the 1999
\nGames in Brunei Darussalam.<\/p>\n
Nandar refused to disclose his strategy against Chinese
\nTaipei, but was convinced his team would fare better than its
\nopening match.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei's assistant coach, Wu Guo-ming,
\npromised a hard-fought match against the host team, although he
\nmay loose two of his key players through injury.<\/p>\n
"Striker Hsu Te-ming hurt his knee while midfielder Huang Che-
\nming has a sore back. We may not field them on Wednesday," Wu
\nsaid on the sidelines of his team's practice session.<\/p>\n
"But we want to win. We will try our best."<\/p>\n
He also praised the Indonesian team's skills.<\/p>\n
"Indonesian players are very speedy. They are also very
\nskillful in playing the ball on their feet," he said.<\/p>\n
Wu expressed hope that his team could intensify its defense
\nwhen playing Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Iraqi was awarded a penalty four minutes into the first half
\nfollowing handball inside the Taiwanese penalty box. The first
\ngoal for Iraq upset the Chinese Taipei team, which was left
\nstruggling throughout the rest of the match.<\/p>\n
"The referee might have been inaccurate in his observation. We
\nthought our player did not touch the ball with his hand. We were
\nvery upset after the goal," Wu said. (ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-confident-of-second-victory-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}