Mastrans breaks jinx with league win
JAKARTA (JP): Two early first-half goals thrusted Mastrans Bandung Raya to its first league championship title with a 2-0 win over PSM Ujungpandang yesterday.
PSM defied the heavy rain which drenched Senayan stadium right before the kick-off to take the initiative, but it was Bandung which put the ball in the net after only four minutes.
A sandwiched M. Ramdhan fed a through pass into the box to an unmarked Peri Sandria who mercilessly drove home a right-footer that beat Ujungpandang's goalkeeper Anshar Abdullah.
The Ujungpandang side, which enjoyed the most possessions during the final between two conference champions, kept up the pressure but was thwarted by Bandung's stubborn defense marshaled by Cameroon's Olinga Atananga.
Mastrans, which was without suspended Montenegran top scorer Dejan Glusevic, again benefited from a swift counterattack to strike a second goal in the 14th minute. Peri, seeking his 26th goal of the season, burst into the box before Ronny Ririm fouled him down, awarding the Bandung team a penalty.
Anshar showed his superb reflexes by denying Alexander Saununu's execution shot, but Rafni Kotari came in time to collect the rebound and send it into the empty net.
Complaining of bad refereeing, the PSM players almost prompted a walk-out during the break. They agreed to return to the pitch after Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, chief of the Wirabuana Military Command overseeing Sulawesi, intervened.
"I know what you all feel, but please don't spoil the match," said Agum, who was also a former amateur league administrator for the All-Indonesia Football Association.
Eastern conference champion PSM piled on the pressure after the interval, limiting the Mastrans players to a few counter attacks. At the height of the ceaseless siege, Bandung's goalie Hermansyah made a barrage of stunning saves to keep PSM's up- front charges at bay.
Defense
Bandung's coach Henk Wullems let veteran Herry Kiswanto come off the bench with 15 minutes remaining to solidify the defense. Wullems also withdrew Peri five minutes later, but even an overwhelming PSM failed to break the duck.
"Mastrans deserved the victory. They played with exceptional composure despite the fact that they were extremely exhausted after the Asian Cup Winners Cup last week and a marathon semifinal on Friday," soccer observer Sinyo Aliandu said.
PSM's complaints continued after the match, with manager Nurdin Halid threatening to resign. "I'm leaving the sport for good after seeing my dreams of fair play shattered here," a dejected Nurdin said.
"I'm very disappointed with the referee. Everybody knew that we deserved at least four penalties," added the manager, who hurt his ear during a flare-up between supporters during Friday's semifinal against Persipura Jayapura.
PSM coach Mohammad Basri was tight-lipped about his team's defeat.
The opposite mood prevailed on the Bandung side, with its players spraying their soft drinks at each other during a victory celebration. Manager Tri Gustoro, who resigned his managerial post on the national team following Indonesia's flop in the Tiger Cup recently, shed tears of joy along with his players.
Vice President Try Sutrisno presented the President's Cup to the Bandung players.
Glusevic, who watched the match from the tribune, topped the scorers list and was awarded a pair of golden boots plus Rp 10 million (US$4,300). The best player and Rp 25 million cash prize went to Persipura's Robby Wabia.
Outside the stadium, disappointed fans turned over a car near the Senayan Plaza shopping center and hurled stones at buses. Opposing fans also traded stones around the area. No serious victims were reported after the match at which some 4,000 security officers were deployed.
In Bandung, the chilly weather which gripped the city following hours of heavy rain prevented soccer fans from turning out for an across-the-city victory parade. (15/bsr/amd)
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