Persija and Persebaya draw matches

Persija and Persebaya draw matches

JAKARTA (JP): Both top ranked Persebaya Surabaya and Persija
Jakarta failed to win their second matches in the fifth
Indonesian soccer league round robin on Friday.

Cheered on by about 500 members of their Jak Mania supporter
club at the Senayan soccer stadium, Persija could not find form
against PSMS Medan and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. While in the
second game, Persebaya, who were overconfident during the first
half, faced a tough offense from Semen Padang and also tied 2-2
in the Group II match.

Persija and Persebaya, both teams remaining on top in each
group, have four points after playing two matches each. They both
won their first matches.

In Friday's first game, Persija striker Miro Baldo Bento
scored six minutes into the second period thanks to a pass by
compatriot Rocky Puttiray.

But PSMS striker Jean Michel Baboaken of Cameroon equaled the
score two minutes later when defender Olinga Atangana, also of
Cameroon, failed to block his foray into the goal square.

Persija led 2-1 when PSMS defender Ardi Mulyono scored an own
goal in the 74th minute. But Baboaken once again equalized in the
81st minute.

"I'm satisfied with the team's performance. They followed my
instructions," said Suimin Diharja, PSMS's coach.

Persija's star midfielder, Luciano Leandro, failed to shine
through consistent pressure from PSMS.

"I had told them to stay in the center field but our players
seemed to lose their spirit. They failed to develop the strategy.
Some of the guys, including Luciano and Dedi (Umarella) did not
perform well," Persija coach Herry Kiswanto said.

In the second match, Persebaya was leading 2-0 in the first
half because of cracks in the Semen Padang defense.

"We were tense and lost our confidence in the first half. But
later we fired up. We put more pressure on Persebaya although we
were running out of steam," said Semen Padang's coach, Jenni
Wardin.

Persebaya players paid dearly for their cockiness, with two
goals from Semen Padang strikers Kusdianto and Buyung Ismu in the
second half.

Semen Padang captain, Maskur Rauf, said Kusdianto was the
team's motor, especially so in the second half.

"He played really well and boosted our spirits, while
Persebaya players were overconfident and lost control of the game
in the second half," he said.

Eri Irianto of Persebaya blamed the loss on striker Uston
Nawawi's absence due to injury.

"Without Uston, our midfield was really weak. We had many
chances but we blew. I think we were too sure of ourselves with
the 2-0 lead," he said.

Coach Rusdy Bahalwan said his players were overwhelmed by the
new tactics employed by Semen Padang in the second half. "We
thought we could dominate the whole match but Semen Padang
dictated our players."

Saturday's Group I match will feature PSM Ujung Pandang and
Pupuk Kaltim, and PSIS Semarang will compete with Petrokimia
Putra in the Group II game. (ivy)

Results:
PSMS Medan 2 Persija Jakarta 2
Persebaya Surabaya 2 Semen Padang 2