RI-Lazio match predicted to attract large crowd

JAKARTA (JP): Organizers of the match between the top Italian team Lazio and the Indonesian Super Stars eleven are optimistic that fans will flood to Senayan for the match tomorrow despite the Thomas Cup badminton final being live on television.

"We have many soccer fans in the country. I'm optimistic that thousands will watch the match. The audience will probably be bigger than the Star Wars match two weeks ago," Dali Taher, the tournament director said yesterday.

About 50,000 soccer fans flocked to the 110,000-seat Senayan stadium when the top team in the national soccer league from the western region took on its counterpart from the eastern region .

Dali said that thousands of tickets have been sold although selling started only yesterday. But he would not estimate how many tickets have been sold.

Meanwhile Lazio, which was scheduled to arrive today from China via Hong Kong, will miss Dutchman Aaron Winter, Croatian Alen Boksic and Italians Pierluigi Casiraghi, Diego Fuser and Roberto di Matteo. The five players have to prepare for their respective countries' participation in the 1996 Euro Cup in England, which is due to kickoff on June 8.

But the team will bring its star Giuseppe Signori, the 1993 and 1994 Serie A top scorer; Luca Marghegiani, the reserve goalie of the Italian team in the 1994 World Cup; Roberto Rambaudi; Paulo Negro and Argentinean Jose Chamot.

M Basri, Super Star's coach, said that he will use a 3-5-2 system for the match.

"I think Lazio will employ a 4-4-2 system," he said.

Basri believes his charges will be able to hold their own against the high-riding Lazio in Sunday's match, which will kickoff at 5 p.m.

All the players said that they are ready to fight against Lazio.

"We 're going to play 11 against 11 and we'll try our best. We're not afraid of Lazio," Emanuel Mabuang Kessack, a center fielder from Pelita Jaya said.

"I just wanna say that we have to win," Gelora Dewata striker Brazilian Vata Matanu Garcia said.

"We have to try to block their attacks and try our best to win the match," veteran defender Robby Darwis from Persib said.

Basri declined to forecast the result of the match, saying that his team will try its best and is ready for the match.

Lazio has canceled its plan to practice tomorrow morning in Senayan and will just spend the day at the Holiday Inn hotel.

The tickets range between Rp 5,000 (US$2.1) and Rp 50,000 in price. (yan)