Tough test awaits reigning champion Persija as soccer league kicks off
Tough test awaits reigning champion Persija as soccer league kicks off
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The match between reigning champion Persija and Pekanbaru side
PSPS must be the most awaited encounter as the 2002 season's
Indonesian soccer league kicks off on Sunday.
All of the participating 24 teams, divided into Group A and
Group B, begin their campaign in the local league, which adopts a
a playing format incorporating a round-robin and knock-out
competition.
The top four teams in each group will be drawn for the
quarterfinals with the best four headed to Jakarta for semifinal
and final matches.
Persija, which defeated PSM Makasar in last year's final, is
braced for an early tough test in a Group B match when it hosts
PSPS of Pekanbaru at the Bung Karno Stadium here.
The Jakarta-based team takes to its defense campaign with
almost the same old winning team, which earned it the first
league trophy in more than two decades.
Budiman, who inspired the team last year, has joined Persib
Bandung. But with Bambang Pamungkas, who won the best player
award, and national starter Widodo C. Putro, the team says it is
just as confident about its prospects.
PSPS must be equally confident after reinforcing its line-up
at the start of the season. Despite a mediocre performance last
year, the Sumatra-based club has earned the status as one of the
favorites to win the trophy after bringing in a number of
national stars, two of whom are Kurniawan D. Yulianto and Bima
Sakti.
Former champion Persib Bandung also faces the prospect of a
stiff challenge from Pelita Krakatau Steel, which has moved its
playing ground from Salatiga, Central Java, to Cilegon in Banten.
In other group fixtures, PSMS Medan hosts Persita Tangerang,
Semen Padang has a home match against Arema Malang, Persikota
entertains Persikab at its Benteng Stadium and PSBL Bandar
Lampung takes on fellow Sumatran PSDS Deli Serdang.
In Group A, PSIS Semarang will mark its return to the premier
competition with a home match against Yogyakarta side PSS Sleman.
But the match will be played in neutral Magelang, about 70
kilometers south of the Central Java city of Semarang.
PSIS has to travel from its Jatidiri Stadium as the result of
the two-match sanction imposed by the disciplinary commission of
the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) because of rioting fans
last year.
Former champions PSM and Persebaya have away and home matches
against Petrokimia and Gelora Putra Delta respectively.
PSM looks set to have a hard campaign this season following
the departure of its key players to Pekanbaru.