Syria walks away with easy 4-0 win over Indonesia

Syria walks away with easy 4-0 win over Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Syria, like a big boy bullying a smaller child,
effortlessly whipped the young Indonesian booters 4-0 in the 29th
Asian under-19 soccer championship.

Even in the first half, which ended in a 0-0 draw, the
Indonesian youngsters faced a match that was clearly too much for
them. It seemed that only a miracle would keep the score as it
was to the end of the game.

Things got so bleak that when Indonesia's Bima Sakti Tukiman
failed to convert a penalty in the 54th, frantic home fans began
to jeer at the team they were formally so proud of.

From that moment on, the Indonesian players lost any remnants
of the confidence they may have had after their first dismal half
of play.

The result was that Syria charged ahead with Nihad Boshi's
unnoticed kicks from the side for two easy goals in the 61th and
65th.

The two goals made the stout, towering Syrians hungry for a
third, which Nader Jokhadar made in the 75th.

The Syrians made things so hot for the Indonesian players with
the third goal that the sorely disappointed home fans, who almost
filled the seats to capacity, began to set fires here and there
throughout the stadium, resulting in a standby fire engine being
called in to forestall a disaster.

But the 3-0 lead wasn't enough for the Syrians, who used the
89th minute, just short of the match's end, to make their fourth
goal.

Thus the match, a poor bargain for the Indonesians at the
outset, ended with a crushing defeat for the Indonesian booters,
who were great at creating golden opportunities, but weak on
following them through.

Despite the wide margin of the victory, Syrian coach Anatoly
Baidachni said that the Indonesian team played very well. Whether
or not his comment was meant to assuage hurt feelings, he made
the that Indonesian booters were only lacking in experience.

"In two or three years, I believe they can become a very good
team," he said.

Later he added that stamina may have been a factor in their
defeat.

National coach Danurwindo, who was with the Indonesian players
during their one-year stint with Sampdoria in Italy, conceded
that "the class of our team was still below that of the Syrian
team".

The shower of goals continued at Senayan as Iraq rolled past
10-man Qatar 3-0 in the other Group A match yesterday.

Mohammad Hasan netted the ball twice, in the 14th minute and
again, nine minutes from time. The powerful winger now leads the
top scorers' table with compatriot Amir Mushrif Mehsen. Both have
three goals apiece.

Hasan scored his third goal through a penalty, following an
intentional hand ball committed by Rahman Mubarak in Qatar's
goal mouth. The foul play cost Mubarak his second yellow card,
which sent him out of the pitch.

Iraq, which crashed to a 1-2 defeat to Syria on Tuesday,
dominated the 90 minutes of play from the onset against hapless
Qatar.

And at times it seemed that the Iraqis would make it 5-0,
with an onslaught from the outset that saw Hasan blasting in a
cannon-ball goal from 25 meters. Qatar's goalie Ali Mohammad
Ibrahim could only manage a desperate dive.

Playing before a score of flag-waving fans, Iraq stretched the
lead as Mehsen struck in the 33rd minute, adding a finishing
touch to Haider Radhi's cross. (arf/amd)

Today's fixtures:
Thailand v Bahrain, 5.30 p.m.
South Korea v Kuwait 7.30 p.m.