National soccer team needs restructuring

National soccer team needs restructuring

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's national team must be reshuffled for
the Asian Soccer Championship finals in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates, from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20, head coach Danurwindo said
yesterday.

The reason, said Danurwindo, is because "some players have
already arrived at the end of their usefulness and there is no
way to reverse their conditions."

Indonesia won the Group 4 qualifying round in Selangor,
Malaysia, early this month after grafting out a goalless draw
with Malaysia and routing India 7-1. Malaysia squeaked past India
5-2.

Declining to name the players in question, Danurwindo said he
wants players with extensive experience playing the teams of
international reputation during the finals.

This translates into the need to include striker Kurniawan Dwi
Yulianto and midfielder Bima Sakti. Kurniawan is in his second
year with the Swiss first division FC Lucerne while Bima is in
his first year with Sweden's first division Helsinborg. The two
were members of the now dissolved Primavera junior team, which
trained for two years in Italy with soccer giant Sampdoria.

"Both Kurniawan and Bima will certainly play in Dubai, if they
are released by their respective clubs," Danurwindo said.

"Like it or not, Kurniawan is currently the best striker we
have," Danurwindo said in an apparent response to those who
consider Kurniawan to be an ordinary, if not mediocre, striker
due to his lackluster performance on the national team in 1994
and 1995.

Danurwindo said he wanted to see Kurniawan in May and
discussed with Lucerne the possibility of "borrowing" him.

Danurwindo went on to say that the coach who trained Bima
Sakti in Helsinborg praised Bima's performance and found that
Bima was at his best when playing at left back.

As for goalie Kurnia Sandy, who has always fortified the
national team, Danurwindo said that "he is a good goalie but
often finds himself in the wrong positions."

"In general, our players don't yet properly understand the
basics of soccer playing," Danurwindo added.

Danurwindo said that he would begin searching for new recruits
today. "Tomorrow I will go to Solo (in Central Java) to approach
Agung Setiabudi of Arseto (the city's club)," he said.

Agung was on the national team for the 18th Southeast Asian
Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last December. However, he didn't
make the list of the team bound for the Asian championships.

The finals will be played in Dubai from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20.
Indonesia and Group 1 winner China are the only two teams assured
of berths to the finals. The remaining eight group matches are
expected to be completed in June.

Host the United Arab Emirates and defending champion Japan are
exempted from playing the qualifying matches. (arf)