Primavera players dominate star war poll
JAKARTA (JP): National players who formerly joined the Italian training program Primavera on Thursday dominated the votes conducted by the Indonesian Football Association prior to the league's second Stars War at the Senayan stadium tomorrow.
Aples Gideon Tecuari and Kurnia Sandy, who both now play for Pelita Jaya, led the nominations with 5,550 and 5,132 ballots respectively to become the only players to surpass the 5,000 vote mark.
The two young players will join 16 other players in the Western Division team for a match against the Eastern Division side.
Thousands of soccer fans throughout the country voted by sending post cards to vote for the line up of the teams.
The match, which emulates the National Basketball Association's All-Stars Game, was introduced last year, following the merger of 34 semi professional and amateur teams into a big league.
"After the match we will ask the public to vote for the players for a friendly against Italian team Lazio on May 26 also at the Senayan stadium," Nugraha Besoes, the association's secretary general, said.
The association received 9,100 cards from the 27 provinces.
The match will start at 6.10 p.m. A rare entertainment will precede the match when a team of journalists takes on a national artists squad.
A voter from Denpasar, Bali was chosen in a draw to contest a penalty shoot-out to win a Daihatsu Feroza jeep shortly after the Stars War match. He or she will take home the car if the ball hits the back of the net.
The goalkeeper, from one of the teams, will bag Rp 5 million in cash if he manages to save the penalty attempt.
The soccer body also named a voter from Pondok Gede, East Jakarta as a substitute for the Balinese.
Tickets for the match are sold at between Rp 5,000 (US$) and Rp 50,000. (yan)
Western division: Coach - Henk Wullems (MBR, 1,909) Players - Kurnia Sandy (Pelita Jaya, 5,132), Aples Gideon Tecuari (Pelita Jaya, 5,550), Robby Darwis (Persib, 4,007), Nur'alim (MBR, 3,977), Agung Setiabudi (Arseto, 2,665), Ansyari Lubis (Pelita Jaya, 4,806), Emanuel Maboang Kessack (Pelita Jaya, 4,690), Yusuf Bachtiar (Persib, 2,363), Supriono (Pelita Jaya, 1,309), Peri Sandria (MBR, 4,850), Dejan Glusevic (MBR, 4,603)
Eastern division: Coach - M. Basri (PSM, 1,285) Players - Darryl Sinnerine (Petrokimia Putra, 2,402), Aji Santoso (Persebaya, 3,141), Yeyen Tumena (PSM, 3,118), Anang Ma'ruf (Persebaya, 2,453), Sugiantoro (Persebaya, 1,480), Fachri Husaini (Pupuk Kaltim, 3,607), Eri Irianto (Petrokimia Putra, 3,456), Carlos de Mello (Mitra Surabaya, 2,319), Putut Wijanarko (Assyabaab SG, 532), Jacksen F Tiago (PSM, 2,582), Vata Matanu Garcia (Gelora Dewata, 1,887)