Persib Bandung on course to league semifinals

JAKARTA (JP): Persib Bandung beat the odds in style yesterday when it stunned Medan Jaya 2-1 in their Group B quarterfinal match at Senayan stadium.

Playing before partisan fans, many of whom had to make a 200- kilometer drive to reach the stadium, Persib built up a fast, spirited pace which earned it two first-half goals to seal Medan Jaya's fate in the round-robin competition.

The amateur champion has a Group B match left against Assyabaab Surabaya, which produced a superb comeback to force a 2-2 draw with Petrokimia Putra in the other match yesterday. Assyabaab leads the standings with a better goal difference than Persib.

Helpless Medan Jaya, beaten in both of the matches following a 1-2 defeat to Assyabaab on Thursday, will be trying to avoid finishing at the bottom in their final group match against Petrokimia on Wednesday.

The victory, however, quickly fueled an acrimonious flare-up between Persib and Medan Jaya supporters. Security officers were deployed to avoid further brawling, but some Bandung fans were wounded and at least five cars were severely damaged.

It took an attack-minded Persib only three minutes to score when striker Kekey Zakaria headed home a fine cross from prolific midfielder Yudi Guntara, with Medan goalie Abdi Kusno stranded under the bar.

Yudi, who orchestrated Persib's up-front charge, found the net for his first goal 15 minutes later, following a blunder committed by Medan Jaya's defender Iwan Sunarya.

Fast-running Yudi grabbed a wrongly directed cross from his former teammate Iwan, raced to the penalty box and fired a thundering left-footer to the near post.

Striker Sutiono came closer to adding another goal when he found Abdi five minutes before the break. Sutiono, the top scorer when Persib won the amateur league championship last year, slammed the ball from close range only to hit Abdi's right bar.

Medan Jaya players kept their heads up and sought to pull a goal back in the second half, and did it in their first attempt.

The Medan side created a scramble in Persib's goalmouth just a minute after the interval. Iwan headed a pass to Brazilian Jiji Claudio who then centered the ball to unmarked Azwardin Lubis. Persib's goalkeeper Anwar Sanusi could not even see Azwardin's right-footer into the net.

Medan Jaya produced a good number of scoring chances in the second half for an equalizer, but it failed to take advantage of them. Persib slowed the pace and opted to concentrate on the defense.

Standings (tabulated under played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points)

Group A Bandung Raya 2 1 1 0 3-1 4 Barito Putra 2 0 2 0 1-1 2 Pupuk Kaltim 2 0 2 0 1-1 2 Pelita Jaya 2 0 1 1 1-3 1

Next matches (July 25): Bandung Raya v Pupuk Kaltim; Pelita Jaya v Barito Putra

Group B Assyabaab SG 2 1 1 0 4-3 4 Persib Bandung 2 1 1 0 2-1 4 Petrokimia 2 0 2 0 2-2 2 Medan Jaya 2 0 0 2 2-4 0

Next matches (July 26): Persib Bandung v Assyabaab SG; Petrokimia v Medan Jaya