Milan-Persib soccer match arouses controversy

Milan-Persib soccer match arouses controversy

JAKARTA (JP): The torrent of goals conceded by amateur
intercity champion Persib Bandung in its friendly match against
AC Milan has aroused controversy about whether the West Javanese
side deserved to tackle the soccer giant.

Former national coach Sinyo Aliandu criticized the idea of
pitting the amateur champion against the world-rated squad,
saying that both teams would get nothing from the one-sided
battle.

Star-studded Milan overpowered its Indonesian rivals 8-0, and
could have made it 10-0, in their match at Senayan stadium on
Saturday.

Without any doubt, Milan lived up to its promise before the
match that it would play seriously and show its class. Persib,
which had earlier admitted to having no hopes for anything more
than good experience in Saturday's match, made the prediction
come true.

"Poor Persib. They looked as if a student who swallowed the
materials for a lesson their mind could not comprehend," said
Sinyo. Sinyo was not the only one to feel sorry about the
decision to make Persib Milan's punching bag.

Many soccer fans in the 80,000 crowd on hand jeered at
Bandung's players for their inability to answer Milan's attacking
play. Instead, they cheered the dream team and asked for more
goals.

Sinyo suggested that PSSI should invite regional competition
if it wants to test how far national soccer has progressed. "Once
we can beat Asia;s best teams, we deserve to tackle the world's
best," he said.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman said the
trouncing of Persib showed that the quality of national soccer
continues to bring up the rear of the soccer world,

"That was all the Bandung players could do. Milan were faster
and stronger than them after all," he said.

However, Hayono denied that Persib did not deserve the match
against the soccer giant, which has won all major titles in
European and world soccer championships like the Champions Cup
and the Toyota Cup, symbol of world interclub supremacy.

"Persib is currently the team with the best management,"
Hayono said, adding that the rare opportunity was a fair reward
for Persib's hard-work and high standards.

Far from being upset by the crushing of Persib, however, the
minister said he enjoyed the match. "Goals are what the crowd
expect to see in a soccer match," he said.

He also believed national footballers could learn a lot from
Milan's superb performance. "Our coaches need to work harder and
harder to make up an admirable national team," he said.

Persib accepted a Rp 15 million (US$7,000) offer by the
organizers to play AC Milan. The organizers later increased the
match fee to Rp 25 million ($11,700) following wide criticism
over Persib's "cheap price." Milan received $265,000 to appear at
Senayan stadium.

Homework

Chairman of the All Indonesia Football Federation (PSSI) Azwar
Anas agreed that the national soccer body has a lot of homework
to do to improve the quality of national soccer.

"Bringing the world's best soccer clubs here is one of our
ways to meet the expectations," Azwar said. The chairman, who is
also Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare, indicated that
PSSI will invite more foreign clubs. The Australian national team
is scheduled to arrive here for the next friendly match next
month.

Promoter Eddy Sofyan also strongly defended his choice of
Persib instead of the Liga Selection as AC Milan's rivals.

"Who can guarantee that AC Milan will not be able to thrash
Liga Selection just as bad as it crushed Bandung?" he
rhetorically asked inquiring newsmen.

Milan will have another friendly match in Surabaya, the
capital of East Java, at Tambaksari stadium today, before leaving
for a holiday in Bali. Milan's next summer tour stop will be in
China on June 12, where the soccer giant is scheduled to play
three matches. (hdj/amd)