Persib lifts coveted title of soccer league
JAKARTA (JP): Striker Sutiono was the toast of Persib Bandung as he scored the winning goal to beat a ten-man Petrokimia Putra and therefore carry away the coveted President's Cup trophy in yesterday's thrilling Indonesian soccer league championship final.
The delighted 100,000 flag-waving, drum-beating spectators burst into a deafening roar when Sutiono knocked the ball into the net from close-range to break 53 minutes of goal-less action at Senayan.
It was Persib's second victory in two days over a ten-man side. The disgraced Petrokimia side was knocked to ten men for the last 42 minutes after Setyo Budiarto received marching orders for felling an attacking player.
The West Javanese team beat Barito Putra of Samarinda by the same score after the Kalimantan team was reduced to ten men in Friday's semifinals. The semifinal was marred with a staunch protest lodged by Barito players as a Dahrul Basri's goal was annulled. The referee ruled Dahrul offside.
"We lost in a much of the same fashion as Barito Putra," a dejected Petrokimia coach Andi Teguh said. The East Javanese were dumbstruck when the referee ruled out a goal from Jackson Tiago early in the second half, saying that the Brazilian was offside.
Andi refused to comment on possible match-fixing, saying that both of the finalists did their best. "It's you who have to make judgment," Andi said.
Persib coach Indra Tohir took the same stance as his Petrokimia counterpart. "We have to bow to what the referee decides during a match," Indra said.
Favorite Persib, fielding almost the same team which took the amateur championship title last year, displayed some of the same sparkle. Struggling Petrokimia was forced to pull back to its own half throughout the fervent 90 minutes of play.
A solid team of Kekey Zakaria, who scored the deciding goal in the semifinals, Yudi Guntara and Sutiono posed a constant threat to Petrokimia's defense. Persib also demonstrated a cool man-to- man marking to frustrate Tiago, Widodo Cahyo Putra and Carlos de Melo.
Disaster hit Petrokimia a few minutes after defender Setyo was sent from the pitch. Kekey led Persib players in a break away in Petrokimia's goal mouth, giving Sutiono just enough room to launch a right-footer past stranded goalie Darryl Sinnerine.
Petrokimia was consoled by Widodo being named the league's best player. He received Rp 25 million (US$11,3600) in cash.
Yesterday's final was marred by a fire which razed gate number two of the stadium. Nobody was killed in the accident.
The soccer clash did claim a life, however, when a 60-year-old Persib supporter, Sutaryono, died from a heart attack prior to the final match. (amd)