RI set to tame Qatar in U-19 soccer meet
JAKARTA (JP): A reconnaissance mission has provided Indonesia with a morale booster ahead of their match against Qatar as the 29th Asian under-19 soccer championship finals kick off tomorrow evening.
"We are of the same attack-minded breed, and we need to apply more pressure to win," national coach Danurwindo said yesterday after observing his opposing side's practice at Lebak Bulus stadium on Thursday evening.
Danurwindo admitted that Qatar is a tough team to beat, but said that victory was attainable. The Indonesian team will be made up of teenage players who played in the Italian junior premier league last year.
With Sampdoria's Kurniawan Yulianto leading the charge up front and captain Bima Sakti and Nurul Huda manning the midfield, Danurwindo expressed guarded optimism about his team's chances.
"They are all in top form. Their home fans have been waiting for them to carve out a piece of national soccer history," said a vigorous Danurwindo.
Renowned coach Sinyo Aliandu, however, warned Danurwindo of "some loopholes" in the defense. "They have yet to grasp how to build a solid defense," Sinyo criticized. He said the youths had yet to face a real offensive test during their last four warm-up matches.
The national team, coached by the triumvirate of Danurwindo, Harry Tjong and Italian Romano Matte, won all of their six friendly matches prior to the tournament.
As host, Indonesia was given an automatic spot in the 10 team- competitions scheduled to wind up on Sept. 25. Qatar scalped title holder Saudi Arabia in the qualifying round.
Indonesia, spearheaded by Judo Hadianto, last shared the laurels with Myanmar (then Burma) in the 1961 edition held in Bangkok.
Two groups
The 10 teams will be divided into two groups for the round- robin matches, with the two top squads from each group reaching the semifinals. The finalists will represent the continent in the world under-20 soccer championship finals in Nigeria next year.
Thursday's reconnaissance, however, annoyed Qatar's Brazilian coach Humberto Andre Pedes Filho so much that he slammed Danurwindo for resorting to such tactics.
"This is unfair. They didn't even let us know where they practiced," a hot-tempered Filho said. Qatar made their final preparations for the championship at a stadium situated 15 kilometers south from here.
Filho also expressed disappointment with his team's unfavorable training schedule. The organizers allotted Qatar a one-and-a-half hour evening session between 9:30 and 11 as well as another slot in the morning.
"It's also ridiculous that we are not allowed to test the Senayan stadium grass," said Filho. The 100,000-seat stadium will be the venue for all matches.
Kazakhstan, Iraq, Thailand and South Korea were the last teams to arrive. (amd)