RI preps for Sri Lanka in India warmup<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia will face India at the Bung Karno stadium here on
\nThursday in a warmup match ahead of its prequalifying match for
\nthe 2006 World Cup against Sri Lanka on June 9.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, coached by Bulgarian Ivan Venko Kolev, lost to
\nSaudi Arabia 3-0 and Turkmenistan 3-0 to stay at the bottom in
\nGroup 8 below Sri Lanka, which was also winless in its two
\nprevious matches but had a better goal margin.<\/p>\n
Before taking on the national team, the Indian team, which
\nwill arrive with about 30 traveling members, is scheduled to play
\nIndonesia's U-20 team on Monday.<\/p>\n
U-20 is being coached by Peter Withe for the Asian
\nChampionship in Malaysia in September.<\/p>\n
India is in Group 3 with Japan, Oman and Singapore. While
\nIndonesia takes on Sri Lanka, India faces Japan in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) secretary-general
\nNugraha Besoes said that India had been chosen as a sparring
\npartner because of its playing characteristics, which are similar
\nto Sri Lanka's.<\/p>\n
"India and Sri Lanka almost have the same type of play. This
\nwill be a good chance for us to adapt to the way they (Sri Lanka)
\nmight play. We expect to gain better ground against Sri Lanka,"
\nNugraha announced at the PSSI headquarters here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
While looking for a game plot against Sri Lanka through the
\nlatter's neighbor, the Indonesian team, according to Nugraha, is
\nstill trying to obtain knowledge about Sri Lankan's game via
\nvideotape.<\/p>\n
Nugraha said he had asked the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi
\nArabia for assistance in obtaining a tape of Sri Lanka's game
\nagainst the Saudis.<\/p>\n
"We have contacted our embassy in Saudi Arabia to get the
\ntape. We must get it immediately because the game will be held
\nsoon," Nugraha said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, U-20 coach Peter Withe said India would cruise
\nthrough to victory.<\/p>\n
"I think India will win easily against our team, but we will
\nalso try our best to win," Withe of England said.<\/p>\n
He added that the game would be a good opportunity for the
\nyoung players, given that they had never played against a strong
\nteam.<\/p>\n
"Most of our players have improved, though some don't progress
\nas quickly as the others. They have good skills. It's just that
\nthey don't have good stamina and enough fighting spirit," the
\nformer Thailand coach said.<\/p>\n
Withe said that he had appointed Bobby Satrio as team captain,
\nconsidering that the midfielder had great determination and was
\nknowledgeable about the game.<\/p>\n
Withe also announced that Putra Habibie and Mohamad Yasser had
\nbeen expelled from the team two days ago due to lack of
\ndiscipline.<\/p>\n
"Right now we have 28 players on the team. We're always
\nlooking for new players as it should not be difficult to find
\ngood players from a country with a population of 200 million," he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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