'RI booters fall to better players'

JAKARTA (JP): The All-Indonesia Football Association gave no hint of disappointment toward the national team's showing in its 0-1 loss to South Korea in the Olympic Asia Oceania Zone qualifying round match on Tuesday.

"Our players do live up to our expectations. We just fell to a better team," Nirwan Bakrie, head of the association's national team forming body, said. The association named junior players, who have undergone a two-year stint in Italy, to carry out the Olympic duty.

The loss dashed Indonesia's hopes of making a historic appearance in the Olympic Games. Three-time World Cup finalist South Korea qualifies for the next round whatever happens in the last group match, which pits Indonesia against Hong Kong on Saturday.

Nirwan made it clear that the foiled Olympic campaign would not put an end to the Italian training program for Indonesian junior booters.

"The program will keep going until a qualified junior league runs in our country," Nirwan said. The US$2 million project was initiated two years ago when the association sent a team to train with the Italian junior league Primavera.

It was the trainees' second flop in their international duty, following their sub-par performance in the Asian Youth Championship held here last year.

South Korea's Russian coach Anatoly Bychovets also praised the Indonesian team for its strong challenge. "Indonesia is one of world-best hopefuls. We were forced to struggle for just one goal," Bychovets said.

Indonesian goalkeeper Kurnia Sandy displayed a near perfect form under the bar to save his team from a possible rout, forcing South Korea to wait for a controversial winner.

The lone goal came when Cho Hyun-do blasted a sudden, close- range right-footer to seal Indonesia's fate in the 40th minute, just before Chinese Taipei referee Chin Fan Chuang blew his whistle to let South Koreans execute a free-kick.

The television replay showed that the Indonesians were still regrouping in the penalty box as hard-running Cho rushed to the goalmouth. However, no protest was lodged by the Indonesian duo of coaches Danurwindo and Tord Grip (amd).