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)