National soccer team needs restructuring<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's national team must be reshuffled for
\nthe Asian Soccer Championship finals in Dubai, the United Arab
\nEmirates, from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20, head coach Danurwindo said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The reason, said Danurwindo, is because \"some players have
\nalready arrived at the end of their usefulness and there is no
\nway to reverse their conditions.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia won the Group 4 qualifying round in Selangor,
\nMalaysia, early this month after grafting out a goalless draw
\nwith Malaysia and routing India 7-1. Malaysia squeaked past India
\n5-2.<\/p>\n
Declining to name the players in question, Danurwindo said he
\nwants players with extensive experience playing the teams of
\ninternational reputation during the finals.<\/p>\n
This translates into the need to include striker Kurniawan Dwi
\nYulianto and midfielder Bima Sakti. Kurniawan is in his second
\nyear with the Swiss first division FC Lucerne while Bima is in
\nhis first year with Sweden's first division Helsinborg. The two
\nwere members of the now dissolved Primavera junior team, which
\ntrained for two years in Italy with soccer giant Sampdoria.<\/p>\n
\"Both Kurniawan and Bima will certainly play in Dubai, if they
\nare released by their respective clubs,\" Danurwindo said.<\/p>\n
\"Like it or not, Kurniawan is currently the best striker we
\nhave,\" Danurwindo said in an apparent response to those who
\nconsider Kurniawan to be an ordinary, if not mediocre, striker
\ndue to his lackluster performance on the national team in 1994
\nand 1995.<\/p>\n
Danurwindo said he wanted to see Kurniawan in May and
\ndiscussed with Lucerne the possibility of \"borrowing\" him.<\/p>\n
Danurwindo went on to say that the coach who trained Bima
\nSakti in Helsinborg praised Bima's performance and found that
\nBima was at his best when playing at left back.<\/p>\n
As for goalie Kurnia Sandy, who has always fortified the
\nnational team, Danurwindo said that \"he is a good goalie but
\noften finds himself in the wrong positions.\"<\/p>\n
\"In general, our players don't yet properly understand the
\nbasics of soccer playing,\" Danurwindo added.<\/p>\n
Danurwindo said that he would begin searching for new recruits
\ntoday. \"Tomorrow I will go to Solo (in Central Java) to approach
\nAgung Setiabudi of Arseto (the city's club),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agung was on the national team for the 18th Southeast Asian
\nGames in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last December. However, he didn't
\nmake the list of the team bound for the Asian championships.<\/p>\n
The finals will be played in Dubai from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20.
\nIndonesia and Group 1 winner China are the only two teams assured
\nof berths to the finals. The remaining eight group matches are
\nexpected to be completed in June.<\/p>\n
Host the United Arab Emirates and defending champion Japan are
\nexempted from playing the qualifying matches. (arf)<\/p>",
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