Persija beat PSM to grab soccer crown after two decades<\/p>\n
Musthofid and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Bambang Pamungkas scored twice to clinch Persija's 3-2 win
\nover defending champion PSM here on Sunday enabling the Jakarta-
\nbased club to win the Indonesian soccer league trophy that eluded
\nthem for over two decades.<\/p>\n
The other goal for the new champions was provided by Imran
\nNahumaruri while Kurniawan Dwi Julianto and Miro Baldo Bento
\nscored for the outgoing Makassar-based winners.<\/p>\n
\"I'm relieved and proud because we have achieved what we had
\nbeen wanting to accomplish for years,\" Persija manager Ahmadi
\nAhmad said after the game.<\/p>\n
\"The players showed their best and knew this was an
\nopportunity for us to take back the championship title,\" said
\nAhmadi, who pledged a Rp 1 billion (US$103,000) bonus for the
\nteam.<\/p>\n
As soon as the game was over, Persija players expressed their
\njoy, either by raising their arms in victory, falling to their
\nknees or waving to fans, who cheered throughout the game.<\/p>\n
The match's start time was delayed for half an hour as
\nsecurity precautions were taken to safeguard the appearance of
\nthe country's top leader.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, accompanied by her husband
\nTaufik Kiemas and a number of Cabinet ministers, presented the
\ntrophy and medals to the two teams.<\/p>\n
Despite playing in front of the President and about 60,000
\nspectators, Persija and PSM turned in what was considered the
\nanticlimax of the league's competition.<\/p>\n
Even after Persija took the lead early in the game, thanks to
\nImran's goal in the third minute, the two teams fought most of
\ntheir battle in midfield.<\/p>\n
PSM, which won the 2000 season and returned from its winning
\ntour of Vietnam last month, was not detoured from Persija's
\noffensive.<\/p>\n
Syamsudin Batolla, who was fielded in place of Yuniarto Budi,
\nlooked awkward at the back. He was replaced by Yuniarto Budi in
\nthe second half, but it proved to be too late to fix the error.<\/p>\n
Kurniawan and Miro Baldo Bento, who headed the offensive, did
\nnot have enough backup from midfield as Carlos de Mello was
\nplaying under pressure.<\/p>\n
Even Persija, apart from its early goal, failed to put in its
\nbest performance. With PSM playing far below par, Persija should
\nhave created more opportunities for goals.<\/p>\n
Only with Bambang's second goal just minutes before the end of
\nthe first half could Persija reap a better standing in the
\nencounter.<\/p>\n
The dismal contest was compounded by questionable refereeing,
\nwhich resulted in the cancellation of two apparently clean goals.
\nBambang and PSM's Carlos de Mello were the victims on each
\noccasion.<\/p>\n
Bambang, who was awarded best player and given a check for Rp
\n15 million, elevated Persija to a 3-0 lead after he scored a goal
\nfollowing a blitz attack early in the second half.<\/p>\n
By then the match looked like it was headed for an easy
\nvictory for Persija. But PSM refused to be dominated and came
\nback with two goals, with Kurniawan playing a vital role in each
\nscoring.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old, who was once hailed as the most promising
\nplayer, won a penalty shot, which Bento converted it into a goal.
\nKurniawan netted another goal about ten minutes into the game.<\/p>\n
Yoseph Lewono, who spearheaded PSM's quest for an equalizer,
\npassed the ball to Kurniawan to blast it home at close range.<\/p>\n
PSM piled on the pressure for the rest of the game, but
\nPersija somehow maintained the score until the end.<\/p>\n
Security remained tight before and after the game on Sunday
\ndespite public awareness of possible violence by both teams'
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Persija fans celebrated the win over PSM by
\nparading around the Bung Karno Main Stadium. Meanwhile, PSM fans
\nthrew garbage out of their vehicles in a show of disappointment,
\nbut they did not resort to any violence.<\/p>\n
Before and during the match, several main roads and malls near
\nthe stadium were quiet. Several signs displayed on some roads
\nwarned of possible post-match problems.<\/p>",
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