Indonesia downs Cambodia 6-0 in World Cup qualifiers

JAKARTA (JP): Midfielder Uston Nawawi scored a hat trick to propel Indonesia to a 6-0 victory over lowly Cambodia in the 2002 World Cup qualifier at Bung Karno stadium on Sunday.

Cambodian defender Soeur Chanveasna headed home a long pass to score an own goal in the 27th minute after Indonesia missed several opportunities in the opening minutes.

Uston scored in the 44th, 46th and 70th minutes in front of some 25,000 local supporters.

In the 71st minute, veteran defender Aples Gideon Tecuari converted a loose ball after a Cambodian player tried to block a header from striker Bambang Pamungkas, who came on as a substitute for rookie Budi Sudarsono in the 49th minute.

Indonesia's top striker Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto made at least six attempts before succeeding in netting one goal in the 76th minute, thanks to a pass from Bambang.

Cambodian defender Samel Nasa made an attempt to narrow the gap but the ball landed in the hands of goalie I Komang Putra Adnyana.

Indonesia now tops the Group Nine standings with six points from two matches. Maldives is second with four points from three matches. Powerhouse China earned three points after overwhelming minnow Maldives 10-1 in Xian, China, Sunday while Cambodia is in bottom with a point from three matches.

Cambodian coach Joachim Fickert said his players needed to recover their self-confidence after the humiliating defeat. The team also suffered a 6-0 defeat to Maldives in its first match.

"I can't be satisfied with my team's performance. Soccer is not only about defense but how to construct a play and score.

"I saw that my players were afraid to move forward and attack before the own goal. They only waited until Indonesian players made mistakes. They didn't want to start the attack.

"The Indonesian team profited from the fear of our young players," Fickert told a post-match conference.

He also said that some Indonesian players gave problems to his squad.

"Our big problem was the two strikers and the No. 15 player (Yaris Riyadi). Two of our players in the midfield only waited at the back and the others failed to even try to attack and create a single goal."

The Cambodian team was mostly comprised of juniors, who are being prepared for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur in September.

"We are targeting getting to the semifinals in the Games," Fickert said.

Indonesia's coach Benny Dolo said he had tried to field more youngsters during the match to enable them feel the atmosphere of playing in an international event.

"If they can't perform well, it's because it is the first time they have played in an international event. I put more juniors in the line-up so they could get more experience," he said.

Indonesia will begin its away matches against Cambodia in Phnom Penh on April 29. It will fly to Male to play Maldives on May 6 and finish its journey by challenging China in Kunming on May 13.

Indonesia will host China on May 27.

Winners of the 10 Asian groups will advance to the final qualifying round. Two or three teams from Asia will qualify for the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan. Both South Korea and Japan automatically qualify as joint-hosts. (ivy)

Standings

P W D L GF GA Pts Indonesia 2 2 0 0 11 0 6 Maldives 4 1 1 2 8 16 4 China 1 1 0 0 10 1 3 Cambodia 3 0 1 2 1 13 1