JP/10/PSSI
By Dwiatmanta
JAKARTA (JP): The country's most frenzied footballing extravaganza is going to get even wilder when Western division teams are pitted against their Eastside rivals in today's semifinals, with Bandung and Surabaya set for a renewed arch rivalry in Sunday's grand final.
Bandung, which is favored to win the intercity amateur soccer supremacy, took a commanding lead after Group K preliminary round matches. It will simply has to maintain its composure today to tame host Jakarta which is an unpopular underdog despite the fact that they will playing on their home turf. Bandung held 3-0 and 2-2 records in its round-robin qualifying round battle against Jakarta.
Surabaya emerges as Bandung's real challenger when it survived a tooth and nail fight in Group L. Losing 1-0 to Jakarta, Surabaya fought its way back to dash Medan's dreams of reaching the semifinals with a 2-1 win. The victory over Medan will indeed be more than morale booster for the East Javanese side to repeat its 2-0 victory over PSM Ujungpandang in the East Division qualifying round.
If everything goes as expected, Bandung will continue its history of envy of Surabaya. Yongky Kastanya and company last nipped Robby Darwis-led Bandung squad 2-1 to grab the third place in 1992 which saw Ujungpandang take the 26-year-awaited title by sinking Medan 2-1.
A victory in the play-off match two years ago, however, could not console the team for Surabaya's 0-2 defeat at the hand of Bandung in the 1990 grand final.
"We are not we were in 1990," Bandung assistant manager Wardaya said, adding that his side is now without most of players who helped take the championship title twice in 1986 and 1990.
But Bandung has already shown their skill. Banking on the solid trio of Sutiono, who has blasted season-high 11 goals so far, Kekey Zakaria and Yusuf Bachtiar in the front line, hard- working midfielder Yudi Guntara and elegant stopper Robby Darwis, Bandung made a relatively easy passage to the semifinals.
They were unbeaten in Group K, only accepting a goalless draw against Ujungpandang in their energy-saving match on Tuesday.
"We're avoiding being over confident," coach Indra Tohir said. He indicated, however, that he would make his players keep on their pressure in today's clash.
Match rigging
While Bandung convincingly finished first in its West division qualifying round, Surabaya's celebration of becoming the East division leader was tarnished with a match rigging. The 1988 champion surprisingly conceded a 1-3 home defeat to neighbor Persegres Gresik, which paved Gresik's way to the Senayan stadium at the interest of PSIS Semarang.
The All Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) banned Agil Ali, then Surabaya manager, for a year and fined him Rp 500,000 (US$232.88) after finding Agil guilty for the sportsmanship violation.
"We've come here to win the championship," Surabaya new manager Purnomo Kasidi said. "We have wiped out our blue memory in the past."
Surabaya will field its full team which demonstrated characteristic attack-minded football. With ace striker Agus Winarno regaining his goal scoring form, Surabaya's forwards made up of Dodik Suprayogi, Yongky Kastanya and Wenedi Purwito will be a frightening force in Ujungpandang's goalmouth.
However, tradition may stand behind Ujungpandang. The South Sulawesi team took advantage of being the underdog in 1992 to make a giant-killing run. Besides, a whopping Rp 50 million ($23,288) cash reward awaits each of Ujungpandang players if they manage to retain the title.
And as we have seen for the last two decades, provincial fanaticism and tempers run high on the part of both the players and the crowds, which will play a pivotal role in today's do-or- die matches.
Probable lineups Persib Bandung: Aries Rinaldie - Dede Iskandar - Nandang Kurnaedi - Yadi Mulyadi - Robby Darwis - Roy Darwis - Kekey Zakaria - Yudi Guntara - Sutiono - Mulyana - Yusuf Bachtiar.
Persija Jakarta: Zahlul Fadil - Tony Tanamal - Prayitno Adi - Zainul Arifin - Marzuki Nya'Mad - Maman Suryaman - Agus Supriyanto - Patar Tambunan - Miro Baldo Bento - Iskandar - Rachmad Darmawan.
Persebaya Surabaya: Riono - Hartono - Arifin - Maura Helly - Margono Asnan - Azaria Batekeneng - Yongky Kastanya - Nurul Huda - Agus Winarno - Dodik Suprayogi - Wenedi Purwito.
PSM Ujungpandang: Herman Kadiaman - M. Bahar Muharram - M. Ajis Muin - Ali Baba - Aji Lestaluhu - Anwar Liko - Yusrifar Djaafar - Ansar Razak - Kaharuddin Djamal - Hardiansyah - Arief Kamaruddin.