Big match to mark opening of Indonesian soccer season
JAKARTA (JP): A match pitting two national soccer giants is scheduled for Nov. 27 marking the opening tournament of the semi- professional league as well as amateur clubs.
Jakarta's Pelita Jaya, winner of the former semi-professional league Galatama, will lock horns against the national amateur interclub champion Persib of Bandung, in their Western Group match at Senayan stadium before Vice President Try Sutrisno. The vice president is scheduled to open the start of the league competitions.
"Both sides deserve the honor of playing in the opening match of the season since soccer enthusiasts have been waiting for a clash between them," league's vice chairman Ismet Tahir told reporters on Tuesday.
The prestigious battle at Senayan will cap the eight matches in Western and Eastern Groups staged on the first day of the season.
The other Western Group matches will be played in Medan, North Sumatra and Surakarta, Central Java. Host Medan Jaya takes on former amateur side Persiraja of Banda Aceh, and former Galatama champion Arseto entertains fellow semi-pro side Semen Padang.
In the Eastern Group, PSIM Yogyakarta will have the advantage of playing on home soil against Asyabaab of Surabaya. The 1975 amateur champion Persipura travels to Pretrokimia Putra of Gresik, East Java. Malang, East Java's Arema hosts PSIR of Rembang, while Pupuk Kaltim plays fellow East Kalimantan club Persiba Balikpapan at home in Bontang.
Unification
The shape of the new national semi-professional league, in preparation the past year, including a comparison study with the one in Malaysia, unifies 16 Galatama clubs and 18 provincial teams in the premier division.
The first leg of the season, which will end on April 26, will see 272 matches played in 24 towns throughout the archipelago.
There will be 40 days off between Jan. 30 and March 11 due to the Islamic fasting month and Idul Fitri celebration.
Two bottom sides of each group will be degraded to the lower division at the end of the season, with two top teams of the first division promoted to the premier division.
Despite the skepticism over the prospects of melting Galatama and provincial clubs in the new league's pot, the All-Indonesia Football Association claims all parties have thrown their weight behind the unification idea.
Ismet also said the league has adopted the English rule of giving three points to a winning team, as suggested by the world soccer body FIFA. "All participating teams have given their approval over the scoring rules," said Ismet.
The old two-points-a-win regulation still applies in Europe, the world's most exciting soccer stage, including Germany and Spain. (amd)