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).