RI team to take on Japanese amateurs<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian soccer team is all set for a win against Japan in
\na friendly match at the Bung Karno stadium in South Jakarta on
\nFriday, even without the services of star striker, Bambang
\nPamungkas, the coach says.<\/p>\n
The national team head coach, Bulgarian Ivan Venkov Kolev,
\nsaid on Tuesday that he would not opt to recruit another striker
\nto replace Bambang for Friday's match, leaving Kurniawan D.
\nJuliyanto of the PSPS Pekan Baru and Gendut Dony of Persikota
\nTangerang in the attack spots.<\/p>\n
\"We have enough (strikers) at the moment as we plan to give
\nElie Aiboy, who has been used as a midfielder by his club, a
\ntrial run as a striker,\" he told reporters through an interpreter
\nwhile watching the team train at the stadium.<\/p>\n
Kolev, who admits his fondness for Aiboy's style of play, said
\nin the past that Aiboy, who currently plays for Persija Jakarta,
\ncould become an excellent striker because of his natural ability
\nin getting past opponents.<\/p>\n
Speaking further about other attack options, he said Deltras
\nSidoarjo's Budi Sudarsono was also an attacking midfielder who
\ncould also play as a striker.<\/p>\n
Bambang, who was the top scorer in last year's South East
\nAsian soccer tournament, the Tiger Cup, has been deemed to have
\nlost form lately with his club in the Indonesian soccer league
\nand has now been excluded from the national line-up.<\/p>\n
Although he has managed to score 17 goals thus far and ranks
\nseventh among the league's top scorers, many consider that he is
\nfar from playing at his true potential. He was the league's top
\nscorer in 2000 with 24 goals.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, for Friday's match, Kolev hoped that his players
\nwould pile on the speed.<\/p>\n
\"I have observed that most of the teams in the league are
\napplying a slow-paced style. That's why I have gathered the
\nplayers today and told them to up the tempo,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kolev said that he had no knowledge of the Japanese team they
\nwould be facing, except that it comprised players from Japan's
\namateur league.<\/p>\n
The Japanese team, which consists of 22 players, arrived in
\nJakarta on Monday and will take on Persija on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Friday's match is one of a series of tryouts planned for the
\nnational team before playing in the qualifying round of the 2004
\nAsian Cup in China.<\/p>\n
The qualifying matches, in which Indonesia joins Group C with
\nfavorite Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Bhutan, will be played between
\nSeptember and November.<\/p>\n
Indonesia qualified for the previous two Asian Cups, but has
\nyet to record a win.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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