Favorites held by upset draws in quarterfinals
JAKARTA (JP): The favorite teams got off to a shaky start at the Indonesian soccer league quarterfinals as they were held to upset draws in their Group A matches yesterday.
Western Division leader Pelita Jaya, while boosted by Cameroon World Cup star Roger Milla, failed to live up to its billing as the finest team to watch in the 34-field league when it encountered stubborn resistance from Pupuk Kaltim for a 1-1 tie.
The next match ended with the same score, with Bandung Raya having to wait for a brilliant free kick from Montenegran Dejan Glusevic to save face in its match against Barito Putra.
Kalimantan side Barito, the last-minute qualifier in the final eight competition, shrugged off the fatigue after playing its deciding match against PSM Ujungpandang on Monday to surprise Bandung with a goal from midfielder Heriansyah in the 17th minute.
Both teams had to play in heavy rain almost throughout the 90 minutes, turning the game into an error-ridden showing mainly as a result of the waterlogged pitch. The Bandung side, however, was clearly the dominant force from the onset, threatening Barito with relentless goalmouth scrimmages.
Perry Sandria, who leads the league's scorers with 33 goals, led Bandung's upfront charge following the shocking goal, only to meet with superb defense from goalkeeper Abdillah.
The bald goalie played gamely to deny Glusevic's powerful shot midway to the interval. Abdillah staved off at least two other goal scoring chances from Perry and left winger Tibidi Alexis in the last ten minutes of the first half.
The rain stopped soaking the Senayan stadium 15 minutes after the break, but Bandung never took a rest. It continued to surge forward, and it was rewarded after defender Salahudin committed a hand-ball in the 70th minute.
Glusevic slotted a long volley to the near post, easing past a stranded Abdillah and a pack of Barito's defenders who marshaled their penalty area.
Unexpected
"We had never expected to play such a great match, since we had yet to fully recover," Barito manager Rahmadi said. "Bandung looked surprised with the way we played," he added.
Barito managed only to claim its berth at Senayan after beating PSM 2-1 away from its home base in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.
Bandung coach Nandar Iskandar could not hope for a better result in view of the waterlogged pitch, and said he was quite satisfied with the draw. "We could have scored a win if it hadn't rained," he said.
Playing before a crowd of 10,000, Pelita was also more aggressive and clearly determined to beat the Eastern Division runner-up Pupuk. Of the numerous golden chances it produced, only 45-year- old Milla was on target.
Milla put a finishing touch on a sharp cross from fellow Cameroon player Maboang Kessack in the 31st minute with a slamming kick into a net left unguarded by goalkeeper Sumardi.
Pupuk produced a barnstorming comeback in the second half and leveled the tie just two minutes after the break through defender Ismadi Justin, who went up to slot home a ball bounced off Listyanto Raharjo.
Prolific midfielder Kessack wasted his best goal scoring chance ten minutes before time when he found Sumardi the last man to beat. He slammed the ball just one meter away from Sumardi's left post. (amd)