Time to behave, for everybody's sake

Time to behave, for everybody's sake

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Had Peter Withe's side failed to produce a remarkable comeback
in the away semifinal match against Malaysia, Indonesia would
have been forced to swallow yet another Tiger Cup flop.

And Indonesia's fans would have been blamed for their part in
the debacle after their ugly behavior during the first encounter
at Bung Karno Stadium, South Jakarta.

After suffering a 1-2 upset defeat in a game that was marred
by assorted debris hurled onto the pitch, Indonesia did not lose
hope. Instead, it turned the tables for a 4-1 victory in Kuala
Lumpur.

But the team lived very dangerously along the way. Apart from
losing in the first encounter, it was down 0-1 going into the
final half of the second leg.

The last act has yet to be played: Indonesia will host the
first match of its final against Singapore at Bung Karno Stadium
here on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The turnout at the 100,000-capacity stadium is expected to be
huge, but the host team is wary of the potential for hooliganism.
Withe has warned that unruly incidents could work to distract his
players.

Unfortunately, hooliganism is nothing new among fans here,
whether at the club level or national games.

A particularly notorious incident occurred when Indonesia was
defeated by Thailand at the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in
Jakarta. Fans threw objects and set fire to the stands; the melee
reportedly caused injuries to 27 people.

Now, after two close calls in losing to Thailand in 2000 and
2002, the Tiger Cup is within Indonesia's grasp.

Apart from its narrow escape over Malaysia, Indonesia has
showed impressive form throughout its campaign, scoring 17 goals
and conceding none in its group play.

Its remarkable come-from-behind victory against Malaysia also
showed the players have heart and determination.

That is not to indicate that Singapore is a pushover. It has
the potential to spoil the party. It won the 1998 Tiger Cup,
defeating Indonesia in the semifinal, and upset more fancied
Vietnam this time around.

But Indonesia now has a chance to even the score, and it will
need cooperation from the stands to do so. A repeat of the first
semifinal antics -- which Withe blamed for upsetting his men --
will only be to our detriment.

A decisive win over Singapore here will clear Indonesia's path
to victory, because it will be an uphill battle trying to produce
a Kuala Lumpur-style comeback a second time.

Sure, having the fighting spirit to seize victory from the
jaws of defeat is laudable, but the same is true for being able
to make the best of an opportunity.

That is where the fans come in. They must play the good host,
so that a victory will not be tarred by nagging associations with
hooliganism.

If not for their team, there is another important reason they
should be on their best behavior.

The eyes of the world are on us after the devastating tsunami
that killed an estimated 98,000 in Aceh and North Sumatra.

So often making headlines for dubious distinctions, Indonesia
is now on the receiving end of an unprecedented wave of sympathy
and support.

A Tiger Cup victory -- unsullied by riots or other
unsportsmanlike conduct -- will do our sporting image a lot of
good, and rehabilitate that of our fans. It will also do
something for all of us after the emotional battering of the past
couple of weeks.