RI soccer squad plagued by injuries

RI soccer squad plagued by injuries

JAKARTA (JP): Ahead of its second Olympic Games qualifier against Hong Kong at Senayan next Tuesday, Indonesia waits for good news on the three injured players.

Striker Indriyanto, midfielder Asep Dayat were carried out off the field in their match against South Korea on Thursday with head and foot injuries respectively. Another key player, Gusnedi, is suffering from muscle strain which kept him out of Thursday's game.

"We hope to receive their medical reports within the next two or three days," coach Danurwindo said yesterday. "I believe they will have passed the fitness test by Monday," he added.

Indonesia will play Hong Kong, with the hope of making amends for its 2-1 loss to favorite South Korea. Only three teams will represent Asia in the 16-field soccer competition in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Danurwindo said he had yet to find equal replacements if his three key players fail to regain their form. "We may give Kurniawan a role as a single striker," Danurwindo said.

Kurniawan, who plays for Swiss premiership Lucerne, teamed up with Indriyanto to lead Indonesia's charge against South Korea on Thursday. They created many goal-scoring chances, but missed all but one.

"I have learned a lot from our game last night. We will score as many goals as possible," Kurniawan said yesterday. He expressed his guarded optimism that his team would beat Hong Kong, saying that it is not in the same league as South Korea.

"I have seen the video tape of the Hong Kong-South Korea match. We don't need to add insult to injury," he said.

Danurwindo agreed with Kurniawan, but refrained from underestimating the visiting Hong Kong team. "We have to be more aggressive if we want to win the match," Danurwindo said.

Former national coach Sinyo Aliandoe also favored the national team made up of teenagers who have undergone a two-year stint in Italy. "We have a bigger chance in our next match. Kurniawan and company need only to settle their nerves," he said.

Consolation

A victory will likely serve as no more than a consolation, since Indonesia will have to play its away matches. "We are not talking about our chances to qualify. Our concern is to build a strong national team," Swedish coach Tord Grip said. "We owe it to the huge crowd."

With two home matches remaining, South Korea is almost certain to advance to the second round. It crushed Hong Kong 5-0 on Sunday.

A Hong Kong team made up of 20 players is expected to arrive here tomorrow afternoon. Hong Kong coach Raymond Ng Wai Man promised after his team's drubbing by South Korea.

Indonesia has not lost to Hong Kong since its shock 1-4 defeat in a World Cup qualifier match in Singapore 18 years ago.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the All-Indonesia Football Association, Soeparjo Pontjowinoto, said the organizers would not deploy extra security officers at Wednesday's match.

An ill-tempered crowd burned banners and hurled plastic bottles at the South Korean bench after their favorites' defeat on Thursday.

"I haven't received any complaints from either the South Korean side or the Asian Football Confederation," Soeparjo said. "We'll just wait and see whether South Korean fans will treat us unfriendly when we make a trip there." (amd).