Yemen satisfied with 0-0 draw against RI

JAKARTA (JP): Yemeni soccer coach Hazim Jassam said he was satisfied with his team's 0-0 draw against Indonesia in Sunday's World Cup Asian zone qualifier at the Senayan stadium.

"With the draw, we are confident we will win the home-away match in our country," Hazim said after the match.

The match was the first time Indonesia had met Yemen in the zone qualifier. They will meet again June 13 in Saana, Yemen.

The draw extends Indonesia's lead in the preliminary standings by four points after an 8-0 drubbing of lowly Cambodia on April 6. Yemen is second with one point and Cambodia third with no points.

Hazim said he had told his team to play defensively with sporadic counterattacks.

This strategy, said Hazim, had worked because many of the Indonesia's attacks were stopped. "But for the coming match, we will not apply a defensive strategy and instead we will attack from the beginning."

Indonesia's coach Danurwindo said the draw meant his team would have to work harder for the match in Yemen.

"I am very disappointed with our players' performance. I had predicted that Yemen was very hard to beat, moreover, they applied a defensive strategy," Danurwindo said.

But, he said, he was optimistic that Indonesia could win the away match. "If Yemen applies a defensive strategy, we will counter it with attacks. We have to win the match in Yemen."

Soccer columnist Ronny Pattinasarany blamed the draw on Danurwindo for failing to see the Yemeni team's weaknesses.

"As a coach, Danurwindo should have actually changed the game's tactics. The players' tactics of attack were especially monotonous," Ronny said.

Ronny said Indonesia's Bima Sakti, Ansyari Lubis and Ronny Wabia had not coordinated with midfielders Rocky Putiray and Widodo C. Putro.

"When Rocky and Widodo had opportunities to score goals, the three players did not help them, instead they let Rocky and Widodo play alone. They could not pass among Yemen's tight defense," Ronny wrote in the Kompas daily yesterday. (lnt)