Jakarta Casual
Monday, May 20, 2013
Indonesia Finally Punished For Fan Misbehaviour
1. Football Association of Indonesia is ordered to pay a fine of USD10,000/- for violating Article 67 par. 1 and par 3 of the AFC Disciplinary Code (hereinafter the “Code”).
2. FA of Indonesia is also ordered to pay a fine of USD5,000/- for repeated infringement in the following decisions (cf. Article 40 par. 1 of the Code):
a. 19th meeting on 28 August 2012 (Decision No. 280812DC03)
i. Indonesia vs. Australia match on 5 July 2012 (Spectators threw water bottles and lighted fireworks)
ii. Indonesia vs. Timor Leste match on 7 July 2012 (Spectators lighted fireworks)
iii. Macau vs. Indonesia match on 10 July 2012 (Spectators lighted fireworks)
iv. Indonesia vs. Singapore match on 15 July 2012 (Spectators threw paper cups and lighted fireworks)
b. 22nd meeting on 28 February 2013 (Decision No. 280213DC01) (Spectators threw water bottles)
3. Total fine imposed on FA of Indonesia is USD15,000/- to be settled within 30 days from the date this decision is communicated (Article 15 par. 3 of the Code).
4. Pursuant to Article 24 of the Code, Football Association of Indonesia to play its ONE official match involving its National men representative team in AFC competitions without spectators.
5. Pursuant to Article 33 of the Code, the AFC Disciplinary Committee hereby suspends its decision under Article 24 of the Code subject to no further violations of similar nature by Football Association of Indonesia for a period of two years from the date this decision is communicated, failing which, the said suspended decision is automatically revoked, the sanction applied.
SOURCE - AFC
COMMENT - the above is in legalese gobbledygook. From what I can make out the incidents refer to happenings at the AFC Under 22 Qualifiers which were held in Pekanbaru. Makes you wonder why nothing has been done about full internationals at Bung Karno.
Indonesia must pay $15,000 within 30 days...good luck on that one. Many have been waiting for much more money for much longer time. Form a queue eh?
And that one match to be played behind closed doors? Suspended for two years?
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Results 17-18/5
Indonesia Super League
Mitra Kukar v Persisam 2-1 (Arif Suyono, Ahmad Amiruddin; Lancine Kone) 5,195
Pelita Bandung Raya v Persidafon 2-1 (Gaston Castano, Marwan Sayedh; Frans Sauyai) 850
Arema v Persiwa 5-0 (Sunarto, Greg Nwokolo , Keith Kayamba Gumbs, Hendro Siswanto) 9,142
Persita v Persela 0-3 (Gustavo Lopes, Syamsul Arif, Zaenal Arifin) 2,325
Disappointing crowds for these games. The East Kalimantan Derby was big for Mitra Kukar standards. Pelita Bandung Raya overcame a Persiram side that surprisingly find themselves midtable thanks in no small part to a good home record. Persiwa's thumping away to Arema saw them slide down the table; they boast the worst away record in the league, as so often happens in this league it is only their home form that stops them being dragged into a relegation struggle.
1 - Persipura 18 13 5 0 40-7 44
2 - Sriwijaya 19 12 3 4 35-26 39
3 - Arema 19 12 2 5 40-18 38
4 - Mitra Kukar 18 11 2 5 36-28 38
Divisi Utama
Persebaya v Deltras 0-0
Persebo v Persekam 3-2 (Reza Anhar, Kusen, Ngom Totto; Andi Rohman, Setiyo Prastowo) 500
SLeague
Harimau Muda v Woodlands Wellington 2-0 (Ridzuan Abdunloh, Yazid Zaini)
Tanjong Pagar v Warriors 2-1 (Asraf Rashid, Hafiz Nor; Sufian Anuar)
Malaysia Super League
Perak v Terengganu 1-3 (Azlan Ismail; Abdul Manaf Mamat, Fakrurazi Musa, Khairul Zauwawi)
T Team v Johor Darul Takzim (Badrul Morris; Safee Sali, Leonel Nunez)
Pahang v LionsX11 1-1 Azamuddin Akil; Shahril Ishak
ATM v Negeri Sembilan 1-2 (Hairuddin Omar; Fauzi Nan, Nazrin Nawi)
Kelantan v Selangor 1-1 (Zairo Anuar Zailani; Adam Griffiths)
PKNS v Felda United 5-0 (Fauzan Dzukifli, Azrin Khazali, Patrick Ronaldhino Wleh, Roman Chemlo, Nizab Ayub)
Biggest shock surely was Negeri Sembilan earning their first win of the season away to title challenging ATM. On loan striker Safee sali netted only his second MSL goal this campaign as big spending Johor DT inflicted yet another defeat on hapless T Team while leaders LionsX11 were deprived of three points by Pahang's injury time winner.
1 - LionsX11 17 10 5 2 23-10 35
2 - ATM 18 10 3 5 32-19 33
3 - Johor DT 17 9 4 4 25-23 31
8 - Marlon Alex James (ATM)
6 - Fauzi Roslan (Pahang)
4 - Daniel Guiza (Johor Darul Takzim), Amri Yahyah (Selangor), Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh (Selangor PKNS)
Mitra Kukar v Persisam 2-1 (Arif Suyono, Ahmad Amiruddin; Lancine Kone) 5,195
Pelita Bandung Raya v Persidafon 2-1 (Gaston Castano, Marwan Sayedh; Frans Sauyai) 850
Arema v Persiwa 5-0 (Sunarto, Greg Nwokolo , Keith Kayamba Gumbs, Hendro Siswanto) 9,142
Persita v Persela 0-3 (Gustavo Lopes, Syamsul Arif, Zaenal Arifin) 2,325
Disappointing crowds for these games. The East Kalimantan Derby was big for Mitra Kukar standards. Pelita Bandung Raya overcame a Persiram side that surprisingly find themselves midtable thanks in no small part to a good home record. Persiwa's thumping away to Arema saw them slide down the table; they boast the worst away record in the league, as so often happens in this league it is only their home form that stops them being dragged into a relegation struggle.
1 - Persipura 18 13 5 0 40-7 44
2 - Sriwijaya 19 12 3 4 35-26 39
3 - Arema 19 12 2 5 40-18 38
4 - Mitra Kukar 18 11 2 5 36-28 38
Divisi Utama
Persebaya v Deltras 0-0
Persebo v Persekam 3-2 (Reza Anhar, Kusen, Ngom Totto; Andi Rohman, Setiyo Prastowo) 500
SLeague
Harimau Muda v Woodlands Wellington 2-0 (Ridzuan Abdunloh, Yazid Zaini)
Tanjong Pagar v Warriors 2-1 (Asraf Rashid, Hafiz Nor; Sufian Anuar)
Malaysia Super League
Perak v Terengganu 1-3 (Azlan Ismail; Abdul Manaf Mamat, Fakrurazi Musa, Khairul Zauwawi)
T Team v Johor Darul Takzim (Badrul Morris; Safee Sali, Leonel Nunez)
Pahang v LionsX11 1-1 Azamuddin Akil; Shahril Ishak
ATM v Negeri Sembilan 1-2 (Hairuddin Omar; Fauzi Nan, Nazrin Nawi)
Kelantan v Selangor 1-1 (Zairo Anuar Zailani; Adam Griffiths)
PKNS v Felda United 5-0 (Fauzan Dzukifli, Azrin Khazali, Patrick Ronaldhino Wleh, Roman Chemlo, Nizab Ayub)
Biggest shock surely was Negeri Sembilan earning their first win of the season away to title challenging ATM. On loan striker Safee sali netted only his second MSL goal this campaign as big spending Johor DT inflicted yet another defeat on hapless T Team while leaders LionsX11 were deprived of three points by Pahang's injury time winner.
1 - LionsX11 17 10 5 2 23-10 35
2 - ATM 18 10 3 5 32-19 33
3 - Johor DT 17 9 4 4 25-23 31
8 - Marlon Alex James (ATM)
6 - Fauzi Roslan (Pahang)
4 - Daniel Guiza (Johor Darul Takzim), Amri Yahyah (Selangor), Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh (Selangor PKNS)
ASEAN World Cup Bid? Don't Make Me Laugh!
The Fifa World Cup could be coming to Thailand - although football fans may have to wait two decades to see the planet's best players compete on Thai soil.
Thailand could be part of an Asean joint bid to host the World Cup in 2034, with the deputy president of Malaysia’s football association revealing tentative plans on May 16 to bring the finals to Southeast Asia.
Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is also a member of the Asean Football Federation (AFF), told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that he had been asked to chair a committee to oversee the bidding process for the tournament.
Mr Tengku Abdullah added that Asean sports ministers would meet on June 19 to discuss the bid.
“The proposal and draft are ready but we will look at other details before announcing the details of the meeting because 2034 is still a long way to go,” Mr Tengku Abdullah was quoted by Malaysia’s national news agency,Bernama.
“I spoke to Fifa president Sepp Blatter regarding the bidding process and received feedback that the bidding will start eight years before the actual tournament.”
The idea of an Asean World Cup was reportedly first floated during an informal meeting of Asean foreign ministers at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok in April 2011.
Malaysia was then given the task of preparing a proposal to be endorsed by the AFF.
“It will most probably be a co-hosting proposal,” The Star quoted Mr Tengku Abdullah.
“From what I’ve gathered, four to five countries will be involved. I think that based on facilities, we are definitely capable of hosting such a large event.
“However, we must have a good team. In 1997, we hosted the youth World Cup but did not have a team that could make an impact in the competition.”
Mr Tengku Abdullah’s statement was met with incredulity in the Malaysian press on Thursday.
Writing in The Star, columnist K Rajan called the plan “ridiculous” and "a waste of time".
“The FA of Malaysia (FAM) can’t even run the Malaysian league (M-League) properly,” he wrote.
“Malaysian football is in a shambles, we can’t even beat teams like Bangladesh and Singapore, and FAM are thinking about the World Cup."
The columnist also highlighted the problem of alleged match-fixing in Southeast Asia.
“Match-fixing is still prevalent in Malaysia. The Asean region, according to Interpol, is the hub of match-fixing syndicates. Get rid of this malaise first," he wrote.
“The World Cup is no laughing matter. It’s reserved for only the best of the best. Are we the best in Asean, even? So come on FAM, get real, please.”
Asean confirmed in July 2012 that the bloc was considering a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup as part of efforts to forge closer ties among member countries.
At the time, Thailand's Fifa executive member Worawi Makudi said the grouping might be ready to host the tournament by 2030, but argued that the world's football governing body would be unlikely to accept a joint bid of more than two countries.
Surin Pitsuwan, then-secretary general of the 10-nation Asean, said the bloc's foreign ministers had agreed to file a joint bid to host the tournament.
"As a part of community building efforts, Asean FMs (foreign ministers) agreed to propose to enter a competition to JOINTLY host the Football World Cup in 2030," he said in a Twitter message.
It seems Asean's plans may have now been delayed for a further four years.
Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup, with the tournament scheduled for Russia in 2018.
No Asean country has ever qualified for the World Cup although a bid to host the competition in the region would be boosted by Fifa’s decision to award the 2022 tournament to Qatar, a country with little football pedigree that has never qualified for the finals.
The World Cup has only been co-hosted once in its 83-year history, when South Korea and Japan shared responsibility in 2002.
SOURCE - Bangkok Post
COMMENT - nope! Put it this way. Remember Indonesia's half hearted bid for 2018 or 2022? You know what came from that...Logistically? No. Financially? Infrastructure? No. Dead in the water? Yep
Singapore's Stange
It has taken
almost six months but Singapore have finally appointed a new coach to replace
the now departed Radojko Avramovic and after months of less than frantic
speculation, we are after all talking about Singapore where they are more
concerned about Sir Alex Ferguson than their own national team, the Football
Association have opted for Bernd Stange.
The 65 year
old German inherits a Singapore team that won the ASEAN Football Federation Cup
at the end of last year. Avramovic was by far the best coach Singapore have had
and leaves behind a hard act to follow.
Players like
Baihakki Khaizan and Khairul Amri have added consistency to their undoubted
talent while younger players like Hariss Harun and Shafiq Ghani are evidence of
a productive conveyer belt of young talent, one that Stange will look to reap
the benefits of.
He certainly
brings a lot to the table. While rumours were rife Singapore were on the verge
of appointing the likes of David O’Leary or Peter Taylor the headhunters
appointed to lead the recruitment obviously saw something they liked in the
experienced coach.
After
hanging up his boots in 1970 Stange worked his way up through the coaching
ranks at Carl Zeiss Jena in the old East Germany. He then switched to the
national team and in a similar example of seamless Teutonic efficiency started
off with the Under 21s before becoming assistant manager of the national and leading
the Olympic team in 1984 before taking over the national team that same year.
The former
East Germany was a very different place to West Germany across the border. A
communist state with an all pervading secret police, the Stasi, freedoms were at a premium for the vast majority of people
and while sports were seen as a way of glorifying the communist way ordinary
people had to make do with shortages and restrictions.
From 1973 to
1986 it was reported Stange was an informer for the Stasi and on one occasion he broke into a flat to steal a diary. On
another time he reportedly informed on a family friend’s plans to flee the
country. Attempts to escape from the workers’ paradise were frowned upon by the
state. The border was heavily guarded and soldiers were not afraid to shoot
people trying to escape to the west.
In 1984 when
coach of the national team it was reported Stange had contacted another coach,
Jorg Berger, who had managed to escape to West Germany and asked him what he
knew about the current East German national team. The Stasi used this to claim Berger was actively seeking to help
players escape to the west, an example of the extreme paranoia that hung over
the Communist country.
“Stange was already the national coach and had no need to do this,” said
Berger. “He was just career-obsessed and it was also about money.”
In the fine tradition of communists when the wall came down and the two
Germanys became one Stange was there looking for a job, ending up with Hertha
Berlin the second division but after his previous activities became known he
had to resign and found work with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine before
coaching Perth Glory to the National Soccer League in Australia.
He spent three months coaching the Oman national team before taking over
Iraq in 2002 at the same time the US president George W Bush was banging the
war drum over Iraq and their weapons of mass destruction. In the face of
criticism back in Germany Stange was unrepentant. “I had a choice between
staying unemployed or taking this job in Iraq.”
However questions over his judgment were raised when it was revealed
Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday, had tortured Iraqi players. He just dismissed the story as “manipulation”.
He showed another side to his character though, returning to the country
four months after the US led invasion and laying the groundwork for the team
that would win the AFC Asian Cup in Jakarta in 2007.
It was a dangerous time to
be in Iraq when it was tearing itself apart in a sectarian bloodshed that
followed the invasion.
"My car was shot at," he told BBC
Sport. "I had death threats because there was a picture in the newspaper
of me with the British foreign minister Jack Straw and 5,000 footballs that he
had given us. "A photo of me with the mortal enemy! After that I had to
leave the country."
His perseverance in difficult circumstances
had gone some way towards deflecting the wrath he had received back home in
Germany with Andrew McKenzie writing on the BBC website “The man accused of being a puppy dog to a dictator was
now painted as a hero who had taken a stand against the war in the name of the
beautiful game.”
After a short spell in Cyprus Stange found himself taking on another
tough role with Belarus. Widely regarded as Europe’s most repressive state Stange
again found himself in the firing line but remained stubborn, insisting he was
a football coach first and foremost.
“I’m the national manager of a country with a huge football tradition
and that’s all that counts. My working conditions are as good as anything that
I’ve experienced in my long football career.”
He was however impressed by the cleanliness and safety the Belarus
capital, Minsk, afforded its citizens, qualities no doubt that will endear him
to the Singapore faithful.
From East Germany to Singapore via Iraq and Belarus, Stange certainly
boasts an interesting CV but as he says, nobody ever called from Bayern Munchen
or Manchester United.
"I have worked for communist regimes, capitalists, for a sultanate
and a dictator, but my work is always the same. It's only ever about one thing
- putting the ball in the net."
SOURCE - This first appeared in the Jakarta Globe 17/5/13
Friday, May 17, 2013
Ambitious Admiralty Join League Cup Fray
There is no promotion or relegation to or from the SLeague. It stands alone and clubs come and go as they feel like it subject to meet various regulations.
We have seen the likes of Etoile, Gombak United and Super Reds drop out in recent years while the arrival of Tanjong Pagar was a timely boost while many were sounding the death knell of the professional game.
Now we have Admiralty. The ambitious club, strangely nicknamed Wolves (not very maritime, is it?) are reportedly keen on joining the SLeague and this year will enter the League Cup; the first time a National Football League club, no not that American nonsense with Tupperware, have entered.
They defeated Singapore Cricket Club, don't ask, 2-1 in the play off semi final thanks to goals from ex SAFFC man Gunter Djafril and a penalty from Mathew Shiva.
In the other play off Singapore Recreation Club defeated Westlake 1-0 to set up the final at Jalan Besar last Sunday.
Admiralty won 3-1 with goals from Djafril, Jonathon Xu and Haziq Sudhir.
Their reward was to enter the Singapore League Cup proper where they were drawn in a group with Harimau Muda, Home United and Woodlands Wellington with the dates of the ties to be announced later.
Being drawn with Woodlands is an interesting one because Admiralty have drawn heavily on the Rams alumni to get them where they are now.
Apart from Djafril they do boast plenty of experience.
In goal is former Singapore international Rezal Hassan. He may be 39 years old but everyone knows goalies can keep going, right? Has played for Tampines and Woodlands in the past.
Midfielder Shamsurin Abdul Rahman has played for Balestier Khalsa and Woodlands Wellington while Noor Ali, whose brother Jamil now plays for Tampines, has played for most of the SLeague teams including, of course, Woodlands.
Then we have defender Sathiaraj who has played for, you guessed it, Woodlands.
Who knows, others may have too but they don't have their own wiki page!
Anyway it's good to see clubs with ambition being allowed to mix it with the big boys.
We have seen the likes of Etoile, Gombak United and Super Reds drop out in recent years while the arrival of Tanjong Pagar was a timely boost while many were sounding the death knell of the professional game.
 |
| Admiralty (wearing red) in NFL action |
They defeated Singapore Cricket Club, don't ask, 2-1 in the play off semi final thanks to goals from ex SAFFC man Gunter Djafril and a penalty from Mathew Shiva.
In the other play off Singapore Recreation Club defeated Westlake 1-0 to set up the final at Jalan Besar last Sunday.
Admiralty won 3-1 with goals from Djafril, Jonathon Xu and Haziq Sudhir.
Their reward was to enter the Singapore League Cup proper where they were drawn in a group with Harimau Muda, Home United and Woodlands Wellington with the dates of the ties to be announced later.
Being drawn with Woodlands is an interesting one because Admiralty have drawn heavily on the Rams alumni to get them where they are now.
Apart from Djafril they do boast plenty of experience.
In goal is former Singapore international Rezal Hassan. He may be 39 years old but everyone knows goalies can keep going, right? Has played for Tampines and Woodlands in the past.
Midfielder Shamsurin Abdul Rahman has played for Balestier Khalsa and Woodlands Wellington while Noor Ali, whose brother Jamil now plays for Tampines, has played for most of the SLeague teams including, of course, Woodlands.
Then we have defender Sathiaraj who has played for, you guessed it, Woodlands.
Who knows, others may have too but they don't have their own wiki page!
Anyway it's good to see clubs with ambition being allowed to mix it with the big boys.
Results 17/5
Indonesia Super League
Sriwijaya v Persidafon 1-1 (Herman Dzumafo; David Laly) 2,234
This result will be a major disappointment to hosts Sriwijaya as they failed to defeat bottom club Persidafon. And they had to come from behind. The side from Papua were bottom...this point lifted them above PSPS on goal difference.
Persidafon seem to have added for Singapore international Precious Emuejeraye to bolster their back line and in one of those oh look these things happen in football, in his first game he lines up against his one of his former clubs!
For Sriwijaya a squandered opportunity. Having played one game more than leaders Persipura they stay second and the gap is five points with Persipura travelling to Persegres on Sunday.
Divisi Utama
Persitara v Persiku 0-0
Perseru v Persigo 3-0
PSAP v PS Bengkulu 1-1
Persik v Persis 3-0
Persisko v PSMS 0-3
PSBS v Persbul 3-1
Perssin v Perseka 1-1
Sumbawa Barat v Yahukimo 6-0
In group one leaders Persisko lost their first game of the season against PSMS but remain top two points clear of PS Bangka.
Sumbawa Barat thumped lowly Yahukimo and in doing so managed to turn a negative goal difference into a neutral one.
Persik's win over Persis saw them take top spot in group 5, overtaking PSMP by one point but the Laskar Majapahit have a game in hand.
The second top scorer in the Divisi Utama is a guy called Baso Bintang (Perssin) which sounds like a cheap meal in a warung!
SLeague
Geylang International v Balestier Khalsa 2-2 (Wahyudi Wahid, Jozef Kaplan; Paul Cunningham, Kim Min Ho)
Geylang maybe in 10th place but they are a tough team to play against; we saw that away to Tampines last week. Balestier were leading with four minutes to go before the reliable Kaplan leveled the scores
Sriwijaya v Persidafon 1-1 (Herman Dzumafo; David Laly) 2,234
This result will be a major disappointment to hosts Sriwijaya as they failed to defeat bottom club Persidafon. And they had to come from behind. The side from Papua were bottom...this point lifted them above PSPS on goal difference.
Persidafon seem to have added for Singapore international Precious Emuejeraye to bolster their back line and in one of those oh look these things happen in football, in his first game he lines up against his one of his former clubs!
For Sriwijaya a squandered opportunity. Having played one game more than leaders Persipura they stay second and the gap is five points with Persipura travelling to Persegres on Sunday.
Divisi Utama
Persitara v Persiku 0-0
Perseru v Persigo 3-0
PSAP v PS Bengkulu 1-1
Persik v Persis 3-0
Persisko v PSMS 0-3
PSBS v Persbul 3-1
Perssin v Perseka 1-1
Sumbawa Barat v Yahukimo 6-0
In group one leaders Persisko lost their first game of the season against PSMS but remain top two points clear of PS Bangka.
Sumbawa Barat thumped lowly Yahukimo and in doing so managed to turn a negative goal difference into a neutral one.
Persik's win over Persis saw them take top spot in group 5, overtaking PSMP by one point but the Laskar Majapahit have a game in hand.
The second top scorer in the Divisi Utama is a guy called Baso Bintang (Perssin) which sounds like a cheap meal in a warung!
SLeague
Geylang International v Balestier Khalsa 2-2 (Wahyudi Wahid, Jozef Kaplan; Paul Cunningham, Kim Min Ho)
Geylang maybe in 10th place but they are a tough team to play against; we saw that away to Tampines last week. Balestier were leading with four minutes to go before the reliable Kaplan leveled the scores
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Persija Record Back To Back Wins
Persija finally put some daylight between themselves and the relegation places after they defeated Barito Putra in Solo yesterday. The visitors had taken the lead through Rizky Ripora and that was how things remained till the second half when Persija got their act together.
Fabiano,reconciled with the club after doubts over his future, levelled things on 50 minutes before the new signings took over.
Kenmogne made it 2-1 with 12 minutes left before M Ilham made sure of the points a minute from the end.
In the other game PSPS lost. Again.They were beaten 2-1 at home by Persiba Balkipapan; their first away win of the season.
The Honey Bears were 2-0 inside 26 minutes after Ade Suhendra and Young Kwang had pounced early. PSPS did pull one back in the second half but it wasn't enough and they fell to their fourth straight defeat.
15 - Persija 19 5 3 11 20-30 18
---------------------------------
16 - Persita 18 3 7 8 14-26 16
17 - PSPS 19 3 5 11 17-36 14
18 - Persidafon 18 3 4 11 18-34 13
Fabiano,reconciled with the club after doubts over his future, levelled things on 50 minutes before the new signings took over.
Kenmogne made it 2-1 with 12 minutes left before M Ilham made sure of the points a minute from the end.
In the other game PSPS lost. Again.They were beaten 2-1 at home by Persiba Balkipapan; their first away win of the season.
The Honey Bears were 2-0 inside 26 minutes after Ade Suhendra and Young Kwang had pounced early. PSPS did pull one back in the second half but it wasn't enough and they fell to their fourth straight defeat.
15 - Persija 19 5 3 11 20-30 18
---------------------------------
16 - Persita 18 3 7 8 14-26 16
17 - PSPS 19 3 5 11 17-36 14
18 - Persidafon 18 3 4 11 18-34 13
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Singapore v Atletico Madrid
If you can't read the small print each grandstand or gallery ticket sold entitles fans to free entry to an SLeague game
Singapore's New Coach Is An Ossi Who Has Worked In Aussie!
SINGAPORE - After a five-month search, the Football Association of Singapore has finally found its new national head coach.
The national body has unveiled former Belarus coach Bernd Stange as the man who will be stepping into Radojko Avramovic's shoes at a media conference today (May 15). FAS officials said he was chosen because of his familiarity with Asian football, having coached at Perth Glory, Oman and Iraq, and his track record of lifting small countries such as Belarus up the FIFA ladder into the top-30 positions.
The German has signed a two-year contract with the option of extending it for another two years. His target is to rebuild the national team and secure qualification for the Asian Cup finals for the first time.
He has also been tasked to groom the likes of former national players V Sundramoorthy and Aide Iskandar so that they can be his eventual replacements.
Avramovic stepped down as national coach on Dec 31 after leading the Lions to their fourth Asean Football Championship title.
The triumph brought the curtain down on a successful 10-year stint which saw the Serb leading Singapore to three AFF titles, into the third round of qualifying for the World Cup finals on two occasions, and on the brink of Asian Cup qualification for the first time.
Following Avramovic's departure, the FAS appointed global search firm Sports Recruitment International to help it find the next national coach.
TODAY understands that more than 100 candidates had applied for the position. This list was trimmed in stages before Stange was awarded the job.
Stange is no stranger to controversy. In 2001, the 65-year-old German was given the opportunity to guide Oman to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea and Japan but was fired after less than three months in the job.
After a year out of work, Stange took up the post of Iraq national manager in October 2002, despite escalating threats of an invasion of the country led by United States and British forces.
He consulted football's world governing body, FIFA, and the German foreign office before taking the Iraq job, but when a picture of the smiling coach in front of a portrait of Saddam Hussein appeared in newspapers he became the victim of a tabloid hate campaign back in Germany.
He was forced to flee when the conflict began but returned after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Prior to taking the Singapore post, Stange was the coach of the Belarus national team. He resigned after the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign ended in October 2011.
SOURCE - TODAY Online
COMMENT - none really. Bit of an unknown quantity in the region but I have come across him before elsewhere. In 1984 he was coach of East Germany who I saw play a friendly at Wembley. The picture comes from that programme!
COMMENT - none really. Bit of an unknown quantity in the region but I have come across him before elsewhere. In 1984 he was coach of East Germany who I saw play a friendly at Wembley. The picture comes from that programme!
Results 13-14/5
AFC Cup
Semen Padang v Da Nang 2-1 (Edward Wilson Junior, Vendry Mofu;)
Kelantan v Kitchee 0-2
Exciting game in Padang with the home team falling behind but pulling one back just before half time and the winner in injury time
Indonesia Super League
Persegres v Persiwa 1-0 (Aldo Baretto) 1,800
Persita v Persepam 0-0 1,341
SLeague
Harimau Muda v Tanjong Pagar 3-0 (Ridzuan 2, Maxsius Musa)
The Jaguars well and truly put to the sword in Malaysia with Ridzuan netting two penalties. They are now 10 points behind leaders Tampines having played one game more.
Malaysia Premier League
Perlis v Kedah 0-1
Sabah v UiTM 3-1
Johor v Pos Malaysia 1-1
Sime Darby v NS Betaria 2-0
SPA v KL 1-3
PDRM v Sarawak 1-3
1 - Sarawak 17 13 4 0 31-10 43
2 - Sime Darby 17 13 3 1 40-10 42
3 - Johor 17 10 3 4 43-18
Semen Padang v Da Nang 2-1 (Edward Wilson Junior, Vendry Mofu;)
Kelantan v Kitchee 0-2
Exciting game in Padang with the home team falling behind but pulling one back just before half time and the winner in injury time
Indonesia Super League
Persegres v Persiwa 1-0 (Aldo Baretto) 1,800
Persita v Persepam 0-0 1,341
SLeague
Harimau Muda v Tanjong Pagar 3-0 (Ridzuan 2, Maxsius Musa)
The Jaguars well and truly put to the sword in Malaysia with Ridzuan netting two penalties. They are now 10 points behind leaders Tampines having played one game more.
Malaysia Premier League
Perlis v Kedah 0-1
Sabah v UiTM 3-1
Johor v Pos Malaysia 1-1
Sime Darby v NS Betaria 2-0
SPA v KL 1-3
PDRM v Sarawak 1-3
1 - Sarawak 17 13 4 0 31-10 43
2 - Sime Darby 17 13 3 1 40-10 42
3 - Johor 17 10 3 4 43-18
Monday, May 13, 2013
Coach Weaver Watching From Sidelines
He came with a dossier full of modern football methods and looked to implement his ideas at Hougang United. -TNP
Shamir Osman
Sat, Apr 06, 2013
The New Paper
Alex Weaver came with a dossier full of modern football methods and looked to implement his ideas at Hougang United.
The ambitious Hougang had set their sights on qualifying to play football in the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) regional competitions.
From match-preparation meetings peppered with video-clips and graphics to nutrition and post-match reports submitted to the club management, Weaver looked to change the Cheetahs' approach to football.
Evidently, it was not to everyone's taste.
After just six games of the 2013 S-League season, the Englishman will take a back seat, with Hougang's Prime League coach Johana Johari set to take over the reins of the senior team, at least for the moment.
Speaking to The New Paper on the sidelines of Hougang's 2-1 friendly win over V Sundramoorthy's LionsXII on Monday, when Johana took charge as Weaver watched silently from the bench, club chairman Bill Ng explained the move.
He said: "Alex is taking a step back so he can look at the team again, to perhaps get a big-picture view of the team. He has come with dreams and various ideas, but there seems to be a gap between theory and reality.
"This is the collective view of our technical team and the players, and this change has come about based on feedback from these two parties."
His elevation to the senior side could be a temporary measure.
"Alex is an observer now, but he is still part of our plans. Our league game is next week, and we will see what the consensus is before we decide who takes charge," added Ng.
Under the 36-year-old Weaver, Hougang have played six games in the S-League, managing one win against three losses, with two draws.
Their solitary win, a 1-0 over the Courts Young Lions, was eventually credited as a 3-0 victory after it surfaced that Aide Iskandar's side had fielded ineligible players.
Hougang are 10th in the 12-team league.
They will play a friendly against Johor United at the Pasir Gudang Stadium on Friday, before facing Balestier Khalsa in the S-League next Tuesday.
When contacted yesterday, Hougang skipper Lau Meng Meng said: "(Weaver's) method is good, just that we need time to adapt to things, but the problem is that our results don't accurately reflect just how good his method is.
"Our management is result-oriented, and that's perhaps why this has happened." (Players suggest this is a management thing)
Lau has been with Hougang for five years.
The club have come through difficult situations in that time, and he says the players just have to focus on football.
"We can't do much because the management has the final say. As players all we can do is give our best on the field, and hopefully results will show," said the 29-year-old.
While Weaver declined to comment on the matter, Ng said: "The technical aspects of football are the realm of the coach, but if the coach has a blind spot, (the management) has to get involved.
"We'd rather take a pro-active approach now, rather than be forced to do restructuring later on. His changes have come too abruptly, but Alex is still part of our team," Ng reiterated.
COMMENT - yeah I know a bit old. Heard rumblings but was unable to use this without more detail. Must be a South East Asian thing, benching coaches? They obviously don't want to sack the guy, that would cost money. So better pay him to do nothing? Isn't a smiliar thing happening to T Team?
It is refreshing to know that had the Hougang owner been in charge of Manchester United then Alex Ferguson would not have been around long enough for the 1990 FA Cup Final. But then there is a huge gap between theory and reality.
Results 12/5
Indonesia Super League
Persib v Persela 3-1 (Firman Utina, M Ridwan, Kenji Adicihara; Samsul Arif) 22,103
Sriwijaya v Persiram 2-1 (Ramdani, Eric Weeks; James Koko Lomell) 19,353
Arema v Persipura 1-2 (Gatthuessi; Zah Rahan, Boas Solossa) 32,816
1 - Persipura 18 13 5 0 40-7 44
2 - Sriwijaya 18 12 2 4 34-25 38
3 - Persib 18 11 4 3 41-23 37
4 - Arema 18 11 2 5 35-18 35
Arema's first home defeat of the season against the relentlessly efficient Persipura means they are now nine points behind the leaders while Persipura remain unbeaten this season. Sriwijaya and Persib won to keep the pressure on the leaders but both have played more home games than the Black Pearls which may count against them.Another home win for Persib who no doubt will be happy in a perverse way to note they managed to score three with SVD getting on the score sheet...some local headlines view that less positively
16 - Boas Solossa (Persipura)
14 - Djibril Coulibaly (Barito Putra)
11 - Sergio Van Dijk (Persib), Alberto Goncalves, Cristian Gonzales (Arema), James Koko Lomell (Persiram)
Indonesia Premier League
Persija v Persepar 0-3 (Bayu Pradana, Ahmad Faizal, Edi Sibung)
Divisi Utama
PSS v Persenga 1-0 (Noh Alam Shah)
PSBL v Persitara 0-0
PSSB v Lampung 1-1
Perseres v Persewon 2-0 (Slamet Riyadi 2)
Persekap v Persifa 2-0 (Mustain, Enrique)
Persika v Persikab1-0 (Syahrul)
Persipasi v PSIS 2-0 (Azis, Munirul Islam)
Group One
1 - Lampung 4 4 0 0 9-3 12
2 - PSMS 4 2 2 0 7-3 8
3 - Persitara 4 2 1 1 6-4 7
Group Two
1 - PSS Sleman 5 4 0 1 8-5 12
2 - Persekap 3 3 0 0 4-0 9
3 - Persis 4 3 0 1 9-5 9
4 - Persibangga 5 3 0 2 6-5 9
SLeague
Tampines Rovers v Hougang United 3-0 (Aleksander Duric 2, Khairul Amri)
Another win for Tampines putting them five points clear of second placed Albirex Niigata while ending Hougang's mini revival.
Singapore League Cup Play Off Final
Singapore Recreation Club v Admiralty 1-3
Persib v Persela 3-1 (Firman Utina, M Ridwan, Kenji Adicihara; Samsul Arif) 22,103
Sriwijaya v Persiram 2-1 (Ramdani, Eric Weeks; James Koko Lomell) 19,353
Arema v Persipura 1-2 (Gatthuessi; Zah Rahan, Boas Solossa) 32,816
1 - Persipura 18 13 5 0 40-7 44
2 - Sriwijaya 18 12 2 4 34-25 38
3 - Persib 18 11 4 3 41-23 37
4 - Arema 18 11 2 5 35-18 35
Arema's first home defeat of the season against the relentlessly efficient Persipura means they are now nine points behind the leaders while Persipura remain unbeaten this season. Sriwijaya and Persib won to keep the pressure on the leaders but both have played more home games than the Black Pearls which may count against them.Another home win for Persib who no doubt will be happy in a perverse way to note they managed to score three with SVD getting on the score sheet...some local headlines view that less positively
16 - Boas Solossa (Persipura)
14 - Djibril Coulibaly (Barito Putra)
11 - Sergio Van Dijk (Persib), Alberto Goncalves, Cristian Gonzales (Arema), James Koko Lomell (Persiram)
Indonesia Premier League
Persija v Persepar 0-3 (Bayu Pradana, Ahmad Faizal, Edi Sibung)
Divisi Utama
PSS v Persenga 1-0 (Noh Alam Shah)
PSBL v Persitara 0-0
PSSB v Lampung 1-1
Perseres v Persewon 2-0 (Slamet Riyadi 2)
Persekap v Persifa 2-0 (Mustain, Enrique)
Persika v Persikab1-0 (Syahrul)
Persipasi v PSIS 2-0 (Azis, Munirul Islam)
Group One
1 - Lampung 4 4 0 0 9-3 12
2 - PSMS 4 2 2 0 7-3 8
3 - Persitara 4 2 1 1 6-4 7
Group Two
1 - PSS Sleman 5 4 0 1 8-5 12
2 - Persekap 3 3 0 0 4-0 9
3 - Persis 4 3 0 1 9-5 9
4 - Persibangga 5 3 0 2 6-5 9
SLeague
Tampines Rovers v Hougang United 3-0 (Aleksander Duric 2, Khairul Amri)
Another win for Tampines putting them five points clear of second placed Albirex Niigata while ending Hougang's mini revival.
Singapore League Cup Play Off Final
Singapore Recreation Club v Admiralty 1-3
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Year Of The Dragon
The Chinese Year of the Dragon ended on 9 February but no
one seems to have told the world of football. For as this season approaches its
climax it is clubs and players from Wales, traditionally associated with their
dragons of their own who are pushing the envelope.
Cardiff City have just been crowned Champions of the
Championship and look forward to Premier League football for the first time in
their history. For those with long memories Cardiff were the first ‘foreign’
club in the 20th century to lift a trophy after they defeated
Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final at Wembley.
The last 40 years or so have been less glorious for the team
from South Wales and they have flirted with life in the lowest tier of all but
for the fans who stood on their famous old Bob Bank at Ninian Park through the
dark years they can now look forward to hosting teams like Manchester United,
not Oldham Athletic.
The season began controversially for Cardiff when the
Malaysian owners decided to change the club colours from blue to red igniting
an outcry from traditionalists for whom Cardiff should always be blue. The
Malaysians though were eying the Asian market and felt red and a stronger
association with dragons would play better with their target audience so
tradition went out of the window.
Cardiff will join Swansea City in the Premier League and for
the first time in the history of the Premier League a derby match will take
place outside of England. They have of course met many times before but in
lower divisions; a new generation of fans will be exposed to South Wales
rivalry at its most intense.
Swansea City of course have plenty to crow about themselves
having just lifted the Capitol One Cup (League Cup) for the first time in their
history and they look forward to a year in the Europa Cup next season looking
to showcase the silky skills of Michu and co.
Once upon a time there were four welsh clubs in the English
league (the other is Wrexham) but that came to an end in 1988 when Newport
County were relegated from the old Division Four (now known as League Two) only
to go bankrupt a year later.
They reformed in 1989 and have spent the last 20 plus years
working their way back up the non leagues that make up the English football
pyramid.
By 2012 they were back on the brink of the big time. They
reached the FA Trophy Final, non league football’s FA Cup Final, only to be
beaten 2-0 by York City. Ahead of the next season it was announced a multi
million pound lottery winner, Les Scadding, was to take over as chairman adding
a fairytale element to Newport’s resurgence.
They finished third in the Conference, English football’s
unofficial fifth division, and after overcoming Grimsby Town in a play off they
met Wrexham in the Final at Wembley Stadium, the first time two Welsh teams had
met at the famous venue..
It was to be an emotional afternoon in North London for
County. Two goals right at the death by Christian Jolley and Aaron O’Connor
finally broke the spell and almost 25 years in the football wilderness came to
an end leaving the County fans in fine voice all the way back to South Wales.
While Wrexham, who were wearing red and sported a dragon as
a nickname long before Cardiff’s Malaysian owners went down that route, may
have missed out on a return to League Two which they left in 2008, they have in
their own way been able to add to Wales’ glory filled few months. They defeated
Grimsby Town on penalties in the FA Trophy Final and will look forward to next
season in good shape under Andy Morrell.
The success hasn’t ended there with Welsh international
Gareth Bale winning the PFA Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and
the FWA Footballer of the Year.
A phenomenal year for Welsh football then and one never
likely to be repeated.
SOURCE - originally printed in Jakarta Globe but not on line!
Singapore Squad for Madrid Friendly
Goalkeepers: Izwan Mahbud (LionsXII), Hassan Sunny (Warriors)
Defenders: Safuwan Baharudin, Baihakki Khaizann, Shakir Hamzah, Hafiz Sujad (all LionsXII), Noh Rahman (Home United), Afiq Yunos (Courts Young Lions), Daniel Bennett (Warriors), Rosman Sulaiman (Woodlands Wellington)
Midfielders: Fahrudin Mustafic (Tampines Rovers), Hariss Harun, Faris Ramli, Isa Halim (all LionsXII), Jozef Kaplan (Geylang International), Ahmad Latiff (Tanjong Pagar United), Sirina Camara (Home United)
Forwards: Fazrul Nawaz, Shahril Ishak (both LionsXII), Indra Sahdan (Home United), Monsef Zerka (Tanjong Pagar United), Aleksandar Duric (Tampines Rovers)
SOURCE - axrosstheline
Lions X11 v T Team 3-0
I know Singaporeans like football. You know Singaporeans like football. Put a red shirt on a player with the Singapore flag on their tit and Singaporeans rally round; especially if they are winning. It's just they don't give a toss about the SLeague.
Most cities have a built in local identity that has been acquired over centuries or decades. The Krays or the Richardsons for example in London or the Crips and the Bloods in the USA.
It starts off at the most local level imaginable. School. Perhaps even the classroom. Us against them. Then perhaps your school will face off with another school from the area. But when another area intrudes then those schools will unite to repel the intruders. All come together on the terraces of the local team against the nearest and dearest rivals.
Imagine a Babushka doll. Lift one and you find another rivalry. And another.
Not in Singapore. The soulless heartland with its never ending vista of HDBs, void decks and coffee shops replicates itself around the island. The only difference between Choa Chu Kang and Punggol is the colour of the MRT on the map. Singapore is Singapore; till now there seems to be little rivalry between people from Woodlands and those from Tampines. There maybe gangster stuff, triads, loan sharking, that kind of thing but for most Singaporeans the idea you would want to slag someone off for where they come from seems, well, off. Unless they are mainland Chinese of course!
After years of apathy filled SLeague games where hysterical MCs do their best to generate their enthusiasm among tiny crowds of inveterate gamblers, friends and relatives of the players and old Uncles with nothing else to do by playing music as loud as possible it was a relief to encounter some enthusiasm at a Singapore football game, no matter how daft the name of the football club.
LionsX11 play in the Malaysia Super League and are top of the table. More than 6,000 fans filled the Jalan Besar Stadium for the game against T Team, another daftly named team in a league of daftly named teams
( ATM are second in the table) and they got behind their team in a way that is sadly lacking in SLeague games.
It helps of course that LionsX11 are a Singapore national team in all but name and they are top of the MSL. But going to the JBS and this felt like it was football. Fans were wearing club/country colours, there was singing from most of the stadium, including a few chunes familiar to Indonesian football fans, and it was fun!
The game wasn't. Singapore, sorry, LionsX11 were 3-0 up by half time and instead of going for the jugular allowed T Team back in the game. They didn't score, for a long time they never even troubled the home keeper, but inexplicably when the opportunity was there to build a healthy goal difference Lions didn'tt ake it.
T Team responded to the home team's onslaught in an interesting way. They pushed 37 year old midfield George Boateng, he once of Aston Villa, Coventry City and Middlesbrough, up front. I say interesting not because I know a thing about tactics and can read his mind. Interesting because in a recent article Boateng recalls a Middlesbrough game when we was no doubt younger and much fitter when they were looking for goals. Boateng says that he was the only guy left in the middle of the park as the rest went for that crucial goal.
As it happened he did go close, a deft flick hitting the cross bar in the second half. But in truth T Team were always chasing this game. They are 11th in the table and have the worst defence in the division.And only bottom club Negeri Sembilan have scored less goals than them.
They are obviously not a happy camp at the moment. Coach Peter Butler is apparently not allowed to coach the team and even had to pay his own way to the game according to local media reports.
If I was a Lions fan I would be disappointed. Yes, it was another home win and they have won all them but the table shows if goal difference comes into play then they are playing second fiddle to ATM.
1 - LionsX11 16 10 4 2 22-9 34
2 - ATM 17 10 3 4 31-17 33
Most cities have a built in local identity that has been acquired over centuries or decades. The Krays or the Richardsons for example in London or the Crips and the Bloods in the USA.
It starts off at the most local level imaginable. School. Perhaps even the classroom. Us against them. Then perhaps your school will face off with another school from the area. But when another area intrudes then those schools will unite to repel the intruders. All come together on the terraces of the local team against the nearest and dearest rivals.
Imagine a Babushka doll. Lift one and you find another rivalry. And another.
Not in Singapore. The soulless heartland with its never ending vista of HDBs, void decks and coffee shops replicates itself around the island. The only difference between Choa Chu Kang and Punggol is the colour of the MRT on the map. Singapore is Singapore; till now there seems to be little rivalry between people from Woodlands and those from Tampines. There maybe gangster stuff, triads, loan sharking, that kind of thing but for most Singaporeans the idea you would want to slag someone off for where they come from seems, well, off. Unless they are mainland Chinese of course!
After years of apathy filled SLeague games where hysterical MCs do their best to generate their enthusiasm among tiny crowds of inveterate gamblers, friends and relatives of the players and old Uncles with nothing else to do by playing music as loud as possible it was a relief to encounter some enthusiasm at a Singapore football game, no matter how daft the name of the football club.
LionsX11 play in the Malaysia Super League and are top of the table. More than 6,000 fans filled the Jalan Besar Stadium for the game against T Team, another daftly named team in a league of daftly named teams
( ATM are second in the table) and they got behind their team in a way that is sadly lacking in SLeague games.
It helps of course that LionsX11 are a Singapore national team in all but name and they are top of the MSL. But going to the JBS and this felt like it was football. Fans were wearing club/country colours, there was singing from most of the stadium, including a few chunes familiar to Indonesian football fans, and it was fun!
The game wasn't. Singapore, sorry, LionsX11 were 3-0 up by half time and instead of going for the jugular allowed T Team back in the game. They didn't score, for a long time they never even troubled the home keeper, but inexplicably when the opportunity was there to build a healthy goal difference Lions didn'tt ake it.
T Team responded to the home team's onslaught in an interesting way. They pushed 37 year old midfield George Boateng, he once of Aston Villa, Coventry City and Middlesbrough, up front. I say interesting not because I know a thing about tactics and can read his mind. Interesting because in a recent article Boateng recalls a Middlesbrough game when we was no doubt younger and much fitter when they were looking for goals. Boateng says that he was the only guy left in the middle of the park as the rest went for that crucial goal.
As it happened he did go close, a deft flick hitting the cross bar in the second half. But in truth T Team were always chasing this game. They are 11th in the table and have the worst defence in the division.And only bottom club Negeri Sembilan have scored less goals than them.
They are obviously not a happy camp at the moment. Coach Peter Butler is apparently not allowed to coach the team and even had to pay his own way to the game according to local media reports.
If I was a Lions fan I would be disappointed. Yes, it was another home win and they have won all them but the table shows if goal difference comes into play then they are playing second fiddle to ATM.
1 - LionsX11 16 10 4 2 22-9 34
2 - ATM 17 10 3 4 31-17 33
Results 11/5
Indonesia Super League
PSPS v Barito Putra 1-3 (Isnaini; Djibril Coulibaly 2, Konate Makan) 3,575
Persija v Persiba 2-0 (Wahyu Trisnajaya, OG) 3,687
Pelita Bandung Raya v Persidafon 3-1 (Marwan Sayedh 2, Gaston Castano; Aris Nabar) 2,430
The attention very much on the lower reaches of the table with three games featuring very low attendances. PSPS's poor season shows no sign of respite but Persija pulled off bottom place with their win over Persiba played in Solo. Instead Persidafon are bottom after another defeat.
15 - Persija 18 4 3 11 17-29 15
_________________________
16 - Persita 17 3 6 8 14-26 15
17 - PSPS 18 3 5 10 16-34 14
18 - Persidafon 18 3 4 11 18-34 13
Divisi Utama
Persebo v Persid 1-0 (Reza Anhar) 500
Perseta v PSBK 3-2 (Nelson Aquero 2, Joseph Nkomo; Purwanto 2) 8,565
PS Sumbawa Barat v Perseka 1-0 (Cyrel Orok)
PSIM v Perseangi 3-0 (Topas Pamungkas, Seto Nurdiyantara, Wawan Sucahyo) 6,231
Perssin v Yahukimo 2-1 (Rezki, Baso Bintang; Paul Yukey) 4,993
PPSM v PMSP 0-5 (Supaham 2, Asman Akman, Peter Lipede, Bationo Germain) 1,631
Malaysia Super League
Selangor v Perak 1-1 (Raimi Nor; Noor Hazrul)
Negeri Sembilan v Kelantan 0-3 (Badhri Radzi, Indra Putra Mahayuddin, Norfarhan)
LionsX11 v T Team 3-0 (Shahril Ishak, Shakir Hamzah, Fazrul Nawaz)
Terengganu v Pahang 2-2 (Khairul Ramadan, Manaf Mamat; Faizol Husein, Malek Mat Arief)
Felda United v ATM 0-1 (Hairuddin Omar)
Johor Darul Takzim v PKNS 3-1 (OG, Norshahrul, Nurul Aswan; Patrick Ronaldhino Wleh)
For those who love their late minute point savers Malaysia was again the place to be with Selangor and Pahang benefiting from Fergie time. I was at the Lions game and will write that when my little boy has settled down. ATM kept the pressure on with a narrow win away to Felda United while Kelantan kept up their recent fine run away to bottom of the table, and winless, Negeri Sembilan
1 - LionsX11 16 10 4 2 22-9 34
2 - ATM 17 10 3 4 31-17 33
3 - Johor DT 16 8 4 4 23-22
PSPS v Barito Putra 1-3 (Isnaini; Djibril Coulibaly 2, Konate Makan) 3,575
Persija v Persiba 2-0 (Wahyu Trisnajaya, OG) 3,687
Pelita Bandung Raya v Persidafon 3-1 (Marwan Sayedh 2, Gaston Castano; Aris Nabar) 2,430
The attention very much on the lower reaches of the table with three games featuring very low attendances. PSPS's poor season shows no sign of respite but Persija pulled off bottom place with their win over Persiba played in Solo. Instead Persidafon are bottom after another defeat.
15 - Persija 18 4 3 11 17-29 15
_________________________
16 - Persita 17 3 6 8 14-26 15
17 - PSPS 18 3 5 10 16-34 14
18 - Persidafon 18 3 4 11 18-34 13
Divisi Utama
Persebo v Persid 1-0 (Reza Anhar) 500
Perseta v PSBK 3-2 (Nelson Aquero 2, Joseph Nkomo; Purwanto 2) 8,565
PS Sumbawa Barat v Perseka 1-0 (Cyrel Orok)
PSIM v Perseangi 3-0 (Topas Pamungkas, Seto Nurdiyantara, Wawan Sucahyo) 6,231
Perssin v Yahukimo 2-1 (Rezki, Baso Bintang; Paul Yukey) 4,993
PPSM v PMSP 0-5 (Supaham 2, Asman Akman, Peter Lipede, Bationo Germain) 1,631
Malaysia Super League
Selangor v Perak 1-1 (Raimi Nor; Noor Hazrul)
Negeri Sembilan v Kelantan 0-3 (Badhri Radzi, Indra Putra Mahayuddin, Norfarhan)
LionsX11 v T Team 3-0 (Shahril Ishak, Shakir Hamzah, Fazrul Nawaz)
Terengganu v Pahang 2-2 (Khairul Ramadan, Manaf Mamat; Faizol Husein, Malek Mat Arief)
Felda United v ATM 0-1 (Hairuddin Omar)
Johor Darul Takzim v PKNS 3-1 (OG, Norshahrul, Nurul Aswan; Patrick Ronaldhino Wleh)
For those who love their late minute point savers Malaysia was again the place to be with Selangor and Pahang benefiting from Fergie time. I was at the Lions game and will write that when my little boy has settled down. ATM kept the pressure on with a narrow win away to Felda United while Kelantan kept up their recent fine run away to bottom of the table, and winless, Negeri Sembilan
1 - LionsX11 16 10 4 2 22-9 34
2 - ATM 17 10 3 4 31-17 33
3 - Johor DT 16 8 4 4 23-22
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Results 10/5
Divisi Utama
Persikabo v Persitara 2-0 (Cristiano Lopez, Bijahil Chalwa) 7,236
Indonesia Premier League
Perseman v Semen Padang 3-1 (Marcio Souza, TA Mushafry 2; Edward Wilson Junior)
Perseman took over top spot after brushing aside previous incumbents Semen Padang in Sleman. It was the West Sumatra side's first defeat of the season.
SLeague
Warriors v Albirex Niigata 2-3
DPMM v Home United 3-2 (Ricarte do Santos 2, Adi Said; Jordan Webb, Masrezwan Masturi)
Mlaaysia Premier League
Malaysia POS v PDRM 0-1
UiTM v Johor 2-2
Kedah v Sabah 2-2
KL v Perlis 0-2
NS Berita v SPA 2-2
Sarawak v Sime Darby 1-0
Freescoring, unbeaten Sime Darby were stopped in their tracks by Sarawak in the top of the table clash last night. The result means Sarawak are the new leaders of the Premier League and they are unbeaten after 16 games.
1 - Sarawak 16v12 4 0 28-9 40
Persikabo v Persitara 2-0 (Cristiano Lopez, Bijahil Chalwa) 7,236
Indonesia Premier League
Perseman v Semen Padang 3-1 (Marcio Souza, TA Mushafry 2; Edward Wilson Junior)
Perseman took over top spot after brushing aside previous incumbents Semen Padang in Sleman. It was the West Sumatra side's first defeat of the season.
SLeague
Warriors v Albirex Niigata 2-3
DPMM v Home United 3-2 (Ricarte do Santos 2, Adi Said; Jordan Webb, Masrezwan Masturi)
Mlaaysia Premier League
Malaysia POS v PDRM 0-1
UiTM v Johor 2-2
Kedah v Sabah 2-2
KL v Perlis 0-2
NS Berita v SPA 2-2
Sarawak v Sime Darby 1-0
Freescoring, unbeaten Sime Darby were stopped in their tracks by Sarawak in the top of the table clash last night. The result means Sarawak are the new leaders of the Premier League and they are unbeaten after 16 games.
1 - Sarawak 16v12 4 0 28-9 40
Warriors v Albirex Niigata 2-3
The result made this game closer than it looked. And more exciting. Seriously, after 25 minutes I was ready to head home. Even a wonder free kick by Shingo Suzuki did little raise the quality as we traipsed towards half time.
Right after the break Kazuki Sakamoto made it 2-0 with a drive across the goalkeeper hich was bad news for me because it gave the drummer man near me an excuse to carry on drumming.
Moments later Main Vidosevic pulled one bac for the nominal home team and that set off the Warriors fan club. You'd think they would have reached puberty by now but luckily for the rest of us they didn't seem to keen on cheering their team that much when they were losing.
Bruno Castenheira restored the two goal cushion with a penalty that had the Warriors bench sqealing so 10 minutes later the ref decided to give the warriors one as well which Mislav Karolgan put away to set up an exciting if nervy final 20 minutes.
Albirex Niigata held on for the three points and second pace.
Lucky I ddn'nt go home at holf time eh? The first 45 minutes were so depressing I could think of nothing positive to say so spurned the opportunity to speak to Vox TV, who ever they maybe!
Right after the break Kazuki Sakamoto made it 2-0 with a drive across the goalkeeper hich was bad news for me because it gave the drummer man near me an excuse to carry on drumming.
Moments later Main Vidosevic pulled one bac for the nominal home team and that set off the Warriors fan club. You'd think they would have reached puberty by now but luckily for the rest of us they didn't seem to keen on cheering their team that much when they were losing.
Bruno Castenheira restored the two goal cushion with a penalty that had the Warriors bench sqealing so 10 minutes later the ref decided to give the warriors one as well which Mislav Karolgan put away to set up an exciting if nervy final 20 minutes.
Albirex Niigata held on for the three points and second pace.
Lucky I ddn'nt go home at holf time eh? The first 45 minutes were so depressing I could think of nothing positive to say so spurned the opportunity to speak to Vox TV, who ever they maybe!
Taylor Made?
Local reports in Singapore yesterday suggested Peter Taylor was the front runner for the Singapore national team. He does have a short term gig with one of England's age groups but could be available after that.
The former Southend United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham winger made history when he played for his country while still a third division player. He also took the reigns for England for one game when they were between coaches.
He was coaching Bahrain in that infamous game when they defeated Indonesia 10-0...hope he gets the job, would love to know what happened that night!
A personal Peter Taylor story. I was at White Hart Lane for my first North London Derby and for some reason best known to my West Ham supporting brother we were on the Park Lane end. During the warm up he fired in a shot that missed the goal and caught some poor home supporter full in the face. Oh how I tittered...beneath my breath!
The former Southend United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham winger made history when he played for his country while still a third division player. He also took the reigns for England for one game when they were between coaches.
He was coaching Bahrain in that infamous game when they defeated Indonesia 10-0...hope he gets the job, would love to know what happened that night!
A personal Peter Taylor story. I was at White Hart Lane for my first North London Derby and for some reason best known to my West Ham supporting brother we were on the Park Lane end. During the warm up he fired in a shot that missed the goal and caught some poor home supporter full in the face. Oh how I tittered...beneath my breath!
Tampines Rovers v Geylang United 1-0
Singapore's premier derby, the East Coast, has moved temporarily moved west and has the passion of snogging a dead fish. Tampines had lost their last game while Geylang have enough nous to give anyone a game.
The Stags had enough chances first half to shed some daylight between the rivals but each time the Geylang keeper was equal to the task. Sorry, no names, I got no team sheet!
Second half and the consistent Josef Kaplan should have given the visitors the lead but didn't. Moments later Jamil Ali scrambled the ball home from close range and the champions were in the driving seat.
Geylang responded with vigour but Tampines work ethic was epitomised by aging striker Alex Duric. At the end it was he whose decisive header broke up a threatening atack and it was Duric again who cleared the corner setting Jamil Ali on the counter. His 50 + yard run ended with him hitting the post.
Fair play to the Geylang fans who sang for ost f the game. They seem to have ditched the zombies, a bunch of miserable looking kids who would stand up, sit down on command but had no idea what was happening on the field and would only come alive when it was chicken rice time. The less said about the home support the better!
The Stags had enough chances first half to shed some daylight between the rivals but each time the Geylang keeper was equal to the task. Sorry, no names, I got no team sheet!
Second half and the consistent Josef Kaplan should have given the visitors the lead but didn't. Moments later Jamil Ali scrambled the ball home from close range and the champions were in the driving seat.
Geylang responded with vigour but Tampines work ethic was epitomised by aging striker Alex Duric. At the end it was he whose decisive header broke up a threatening atack and it was Duric again who cleared the corner setting Jamil Ali on the counter. His 50 + yard run ended with him hitting the post.
Fair play to the Geylang fans who sang for ost f the game. They seem to have ditched the zombies, a bunch of miserable looking kids who would stand up, sit down on command but had no idea what was happening on the field and would only come alive when it was chicken rice time. The less said about the home support the better!
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Results 8/5
Indonesia Premier League
PSM v Pro Duta 2-0 (Ilija Spasojevic, Andi Oddang)
SLeague
Balestier Khalsa v Tanjong Pagar 2-1 (Ruhaizad Ismail, Qui Li; Ramdani Kamel)
A fiery encounter saw eight yellow and one red card. Despite Tanjong's late injury time pen the hosts held on for a crucial three points
PSM v Pro Duta 2-0 (Ilija Spasojevic, Andi Oddang)
SLeague
Balestier Khalsa v Tanjong Pagar 2-1 (Ruhaizad Ismail, Qui Li; Ramdani Kamel)
A fiery encounter saw eight yellow and one red card. Despite Tanjong's late injury time pen the hosts held on for a crucial three points
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Aging Foreigner Strikers In Big Demand
A swapsie with Hilton Moreira moving from Sriwijaya to Persib (again) while Herman Dzumafo makes the return journey. Pelita Bandung Raya look to improve their goal output by signing Camera Sekou from Persiwa.
Other rumours suggest Kim Jeffrey Kurniawan could be on his way from Persema Malang while former Indonesia international Erol Iba moves to Persegres while Persebaya IPL are thought to have offered Mario Karlovic to Arema ISL and Titus Bonai is surplus to requirements at IPL leaders Semen Padang
In other news Persita have no money and their future is in doubt. The team from Tangerang are playing their home games in Kuningan, West Java which is bloody jauh for their fans.
Other rumours suggest Kim Jeffrey Kurniawan could be on his way from Persema Malang while former Indonesia international Erol Iba moves to Persegres while Persebaya IPL are thought to have offered Mario Karlovic to Arema ISL and Titus Bonai is surplus to requirements at IPL leaders Semen Padang
In other news Persita have no money and their future is in doubt. The team from Tangerang are playing their home games in Kuningan, West Java which is bloody jauh for their fans.
Results 7/5
Divisi Utama
PPSM v Persewangi 3-1 (Peter Lipede, Supaham, Abdul Lokhim; Jordie Kartiko) 6,854
PSIM v PSMP 0-1 (Dwi Aryo)
SLeague
Albirex Niigata v Harimau Muda 1-0 (Bruno Castenheira)
Hougang United v Young Lions 1-0 (Mamadou Diallo)
Three straight wins for Hougang United but a narrow one against Young Lions who still boast a defeat a game this season.
Malaysia Super League
Perak v Negeri Sembilan 2-1 (Paolo Rangel, Azlan Ismail; Nazri Nawi)
Pahang v Selangor 2-2 (S Ravindran 2; Francis Forkay Doe 2)
PKNS v T Team 2-1 (Nizad Ayub, Roman Chmelo; Damir Ibric)
ATM v Johor Darul Tazkim 2-0 (Alex Marlon James 2)
Kelantan v Felda United 3-0 (Indra Putra Mahayuddin 2, Bahdri Rahzdzi)
Terengganu v LionsX11 1-2 (Ismail Faruqi Ashari; Baihakki Khaizan, OG)
1 - LionsX11 15 9 4 2 19-9 31
2 - ATM 16 9 3 4 30-17 30
3 - Selangor 15 6 7 2 18-11 25
4 - Johor Darul Takzim 15 7 4 4 20-21 25
In the battle of the nouveau riche in Malaysia ATM came out trumps thanks to the experience of Alex Marlon James who reached eight for the season after his brace. Baihakki set the leaders on the way to their first away win of the season way up north while Negeri Sembilan remain winless with relegation a real possibility. Safee Sali has managed just one MSL goal this season?
PPSM v Persewangi 3-1 (Peter Lipede, Supaham, Abdul Lokhim; Jordie Kartiko) 6,854
PSIM v PSMP 0-1 (Dwi Aryo)
SLeague
Albirex Niigata v Harimau Muda 1-0 (Bruno Castenheira)
Hougang United v Young Lions 1-0 (Mamadou Diallo)
Three straight wins for Hougang United but a narrow one against Young Lions who still boast a defeat a game this season.
Malaysia Super League
Perak v Negeri Sembilan 2-1 (Paolo Rangel, Azlan Ismail; Nazri Nawi)
Pahang v Selangor 2-2 (S Ravindran 2; Francis Forkay Doe 2)
PKNS v T Team 2-1 (Nizad Ayub, Roman Chmelo; Damir Ibric)
ATM v Johor Darul Tazkim 2-0 (Alex Marlon James 2)
Kelantan v Felda United 3-0 (Indra Putra Mahayuddin 2, Bahdri Rahzdzi)
Terengganu v LionsX11 1-2 (Ismail Faruqi Ashari; Baihakki Khaizan, OG)
1 - LionsX11 15 9 4 2 19-9 31
2 - ATM 16 9 3 4 30-17 30
3 - Selangor 15 6 7 2 18-11 25
4 - Johor Darul Takzim 15 7 4 4 20-21 25
In the battle of the nouveau riche in Malaysia ATM came out trumps thanks to the experience of Alex Marlon James who reached eight for the season after his brace. Baihakki set the leaders on the way to their first away win of the season way up north while Negeri Sembilan remain winless with relegation a real possibility. Safee Sali has managed just one MSL goal this season?
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Semen Padang Return Some Pride To Merah Putih
My latest blog on the Jakarta Globe is about Semen Padang's good run in the AFC Cup.
Results 6/5
Divisi Utama
Persikad v Persitara 3-2 (Sobari, Ronnie De Carvalho, Irfan Safari; Zainul Arifin, Soni Adriansyah) 3,000
Deltras v Persebo 3-0 (Cheik Oumar Dombia, I Komang Mariawan 2) 3,350
Persikad's first win of the season came at the 10th attempt against Persitara at the Pigeon Stadium! Deltras stay comfortably mid table after overcoming bottom of the table Persibo.
SLeague
Woodlands Wellington v Home United 0-3 (Lee Kwan Woo, Sirina Camera 2)
Persikad v Persitara 3-2 (Sobari, Ronnie De Carvalho, Irfan Safari; Zainul Arifin, Soni Adriansyah) 3,000
Deltras v Persebo 3-0 (Cheik Oumar Dombia, I Komang Mariawan 2) 3,350
Persikad's first win of the season came at the 10th attempt against Persitara at the Pigeon Stadium! Deltras stay comfortably mid table after overcoming bottom of the table Persibo.
SLeague
Woodlands Wellington v Home United 0-3 (Lee Kwan Woo, Sirina Camera 2)
Jakarta FC/Persija Get New Home
The official IPL website still insists on calling them Persija even though a court last year ruled they can no longer be known by that name...but it's only the law, right? Then again the official website rather optimistically says Persija will play at Bung Karno this weekend.
That's not true. They had hoped to play at Singaperbangsa Stadium in Karawang but apparently that costs too much to rent; Persipasi and Persika manage ok. Last season they were forced to play their home games in Madiun, East Java as no one in Jakarta would accept them!
Now they will play their next two home games in Bantul near Yogyakarta. They host Persepar on 11/5 and Persibo on 15th down there. I guess travelling down to Bantul and staying overnight there works out cheaper than using Karawang?
While they are in Bantul they may well bump into the other, real, Persija, who are training in Yogya ahead of their home game against Persiba this Saturday...and no one yet knows where that will be played!
UPDATE 7/5 - Persija ISL must play their next two home games, on the same dates as Persija IPL, in Solo. Again.
That's not true. They had hoped to play at Singaperbangsa Stadium in Karawang but apparently that costs too much to rent; Persipasi and Persika manage ok. Last season they were forced to play their home games in Madiun, East Java as no one in Jakarta would accept them!
Now they will play their next two home games in Bantul near Yogyakarta. They host Persepar on 11/5 and Persibo on 15th down there. I guess travelling down to Bantul and staying overnight there works out cheaper than using Karawang?
While they are in Bantul they may well bump into the other, real, Persija, who are training in Yogya ahead of their home game against Persiba this Saturday...and no one yet knows where that will be played!
UPDATE 7/5 - Persija ISL must play their next two home games, on the same dates as Persija IPL, in Solo. Again.
Monday, May 06, 2013
Results 4-5/5
Divisi Utama
Perseba Super v Persebaya 0-1 (JP Boumsong) 5,000
Perseka v Yakuhimo 3-0
Persipur v PSIS 0-0 12,000
Persiku v Persitema 1-0 (Alberto Ramon Sosa Morel) 7,893
Apparently the Persipur game was abandoned on 81'...too many fans were pitch side! More problems after the game as PSIS fans headed home with what was described as hundreds of residents of a small town kicking off with the supporters leaving two fans in hospital; one report suggests one fan died. Motorcycles and cars were set on fire as hundreds, yep hundreds, of security officials were sent to the scene. Later the residents blocked the road with a burning barricade of tyres.
Apparently the Persipur game was abandoned on 81'...too many fans were pitch side! More problems after the game as PSIS fans headed home with what was described as hundreds of residents of a small town kicking off with the supporters leaving two fans in hospital; one report suggests one fan died. Motorcycles and cars were set on fire as hundreds, yep hundreds, of security officials were sent to the scene. Later the residents blocked the road with a burning barricade of tyres.
Indonesia Premier
League
Perseman v Pro Duta 1-1 (Girt Karlsons; Cornelis Kaimu)
PSM v Semen Padang 0-1 (Edward Wilson Junior)
As you were at the top of the IPL after Liberian striker
hit his seventh IPL goal of the season to add to his eight AFC Cup goals and
keep Semen Padang top of the table. Second and third cancelled each other out
in Sleman
Divisi Utama
PSMS v Persika 2-1 (Saktiwan Sinaga, Donny Siregar; Abul
Fikri)
PSIS v PSLS 1-0 (Yusuf)
Persenga v Persis 3-2 (Mamadou 2, Handika; Shidiq,
Tinton)
PPSM v PSBI 0-4 (Ucok Arifin 2, Evandro 2)
Persemalra v Persibangga 0-1 (Gunaryo)
Lampung v Persipon 3-0 (Hermawan, Irawan, Abu Bakar)
Persikab v PSSB 3-1 (Ridwan Hermawan, Kiki Sidik Permana,
Cahya Sumirat; Royani)
Persewon v Persekap 1-0 (Josue)
Tables? Nope. Attendances? Nope. PSMS and PSIS both
needed injury time goals to win their home games. PSIS for some reason played
in the nearby town of Kendal, not their usual Jatidiri Stadium.
SLeague
Tanjong Pagar v Tampines Rovers 1-0 (Kamel Ramdani)
DPMM v Warriors 0-2 (Shimpei Sakurada, Mislav Karolgan)
Top two collided at Queenstown Stadium with the hosts
edging the champions by the narrowest of margins. It was Tampines first defeat
of the season and they will be hoping there is no hangover when they meet Geylang
later this week. Warriors eh? Never easy to get a result in Brunei but they
managed it. Wonder what the attendances were?
1 – Tampines 10 8 1 1 20-6 25
2 – Tanjong Pagar 11 6 3 2 22-12 21
3 – Albirex Niigata 10 6 2 2 13-9 20
8 – Monsef Zerka (Tanjong Pagar)
6 – Joao Moreira (DPMM), Jozef Kaplan (Geylang), Kamel
Randani (Tanjong Pagar)
Singapore League Cup Play Offs
Singapore Recreation Club v Sporting Westlake 1-0
Singapore Cricket Club v Admiralty 1-2
The two winners join the League Cup proper, the first time NFL clubs have entered and a good idea it is to.
Singapore League Cup Play Offs
Singapore Recreation Club v Sporting Westlake 1-0
Singapore Cricket Club v Admiralty 1-2
The two winners join the League Cup proper, the first time NFL clubs have entered and a good idea it is to.
Malaysia Super League
Felda United v Perak 3-1 (Leonel Preux, Razli Kandasamy,
Rudie Ramli; Paolo Angel)
T Team v ATM 0-1 (Venice Elpha Danny Kaya)
1 – LionsX11 14 8 4 2 17-8 28
2 – ATM 15 8 3 4 28-17 27
3 – Johor Darul Takzim 14 7 4 3 20-19 25
8 – Marlon Alex James (ATM)
6 – Fauzi Roslan (Pahang)
4 – Daniel Guiza (Johor Darul Takzim), Amri Yahyah
(Selangor), Patrick Ronaldhino Wleh (PKNS)
Malaysia Premier
League
UiTM v Pos Malaysia 1-1
NS Berita v Sabah 1-4
KL v Johor 1-3
Sime Darby v Perlis 4-1
Sarawak v SPA 2-1
1 – Sime Darby 15 12 3 0 38-9 39
2 – Sarawak 15 11 4 0 27-9 37
3 – Johor 15 10 1 4 40-15 31
Primorac's Hot Streak
After 15 games in the Malaysian Premier League Sime Darby are top of the table, unbeaten and with 12 wins under their belt.
At the heart of their impressive start to the season is Croatian striker Karlo Primorac who has netted 19 goals so far including seven in his last two games. In the last game Sime Darby defeated Perlis 4-1 with Primorac getting a hat trick while in the game before he went one better, netting four away to Sabah in the 5-1 win.
The 28 year old forward is in his first season with the club and has obviously settled in pretty bloody well so can we expect to see him linked with bigger clubs in the region if he carries on with this form?
And is he any relation to Arsenal's assistant manager, Bora Primorac?!
At the heart of their impressive start to the season is Croatian striker Karlo Primorac who has netted 19 goals so far including seven in his last two games. In the last game Sime Darby defeated Perlis 4-1 with Primorac getting a hat trick while in the game before he went one better, netting four away to Sabah in the 5-1 win.
The 28 year old forward is in his first season with the club and has obviously settled in pretty bloody well so can we expect to see him linked with bigger clubs in the region if he carries on with this form?
And is he any relation to Arsenal's assistant manager, Bora Primorac?!
Any Win Will Do
What a week it has been for Thai football. Buriram United made it through to the Round of 16 in the Asian Champions League while Leicester City, owned by Thais, are in the mix for a Premier League spot next season with a play off against Watford on the horizon.
Oh, and Buriram sacked the man who had, on paper at least, masterminded their successes of recent years.
It was revealed the club and coach had parted company with the club owner, a Newin Chidcob, announcing, initially, it had always been the plan anyway...whatever that meant.
Later it emerged Attaphon had in fact been sacked and that anyway he wasn't responsible for Buriram's glory; the credit for that lay at the door of Newin. Of course. Anyone who knows anything about Thai culture would know that. You only had to witness Newin on the bench, and in the technical area, during the ACL games to realise this was a very different sort of club owner to what we are used to in the west. He is a puu yai in every sense of the word and doesn't every one know it? Yet the norm in this part of the world.
Newin as a politician doesn't like to lose. Difficult in his home province where his family have been the number one family for several decades. If he takes no chances in politics you can be sure he takes even less in football. You can only wonder what went on behind the scenes last season when they gracefully finished fourth.
According to Wikipedia someone called Scott Cooper has been made temporary coach at Buriram United while Attaphon has taken over the reins at Bangkok Glass where he will have Goran Subara, former Gombak United and PSM. Cooper has been with Buriram for a while now coaching their academy and previously worked with the Leicester City academy
Buriram United are currently second in the TPL, unbeaten and just two points behind leaders Muang Thong United.
Rumours that Newin will take over as coach of Leicester City should the reach the Premier League are just the product of a fertile imagination.
Good heading eh?
Oh, and Buriram sacked the man who had, on paper at least, masterminded their successes of recent years.
It was revealed the club and coach had parted company with the club owner, a Newin Chidcob, announcing, initially, it had always been the plan anyway...whatever that meant.
Later it emerged Attaphon had in fact been sacked and that anyway he wasn't responsible for Buriram's glory; the credit for that lay at the door of Newin. Of course. Anyone who knows anything about Thai culture would know that. You only had to witness Newin on the bench, and in the technical area, during the ACL games to realise this was a very different sort of club owner to what we are used to in the west. He is a puu yai in every sense of the word and doesn't every one know it? Yet the norm in this part of the world.
Newin as a politician doesn't like to lose. Difficult in his home province where his family have been the number one family for several decades. If he takes no chances in politics you can be sure he takes even less in football. You can only wonder what went on behind the scenes last season when they gracefully finished fourth.
According to Wikipedia someone called Scott Cooper has been made temporary coach at Buriram United while Attaphon has taken over the reins at Bangkok Glass where he will have Goran Subara, former Gombak United and PSM. Cooper has been with Buriram for a while now coaching their academy and previously worked with the Leicester City academy
Buriram United are currently second in the TPL, unbeaten and just two points behind leaders Muang Thong United.
Rumours that Newin will take over as coach of Leicester City should the reach the Premier League are just the product of a fertile imagination.
Good heading eh?
Saturday, May 04, 2013
From Indifference To Majesty To Boos
12 months ago the Toon Army were buzzing. They had just
defeated Stoke City 3-0 at St James’ Park, brushing aside Tony Pulis men with
consummate ease. At the heart was a midfield the envy of much of the Premier
League. Yohan Cabaye, Cheicke Tiote, Hatem Ben Arfa and Jonas Guitierrez were
the pivot of a team that was enjoying a run of six unbeaten games conceding
just one in the process.
Up front Papiss Cisse had come in during the mid season
transfer window and added 13 premier league goals in his 13 starts providing an
excellent foil for demba Ba who had begun the season explosively with 14 of his
own.
Newcastle were flavor of the month and their scouting
network, headed by Graham Carr, was lauded by one and all with the accent on
young, talented Frenchmen echoing the work of Arsen Wenger in the late 1990s.
The Toon Army were ecstatic of course and they laid the
credit at the door of manager Alan Pardew, a man who had been appointed gaffer
to a reaction of ‘indifference’. They sang about climbing the football league,
getting into Europe and, the chant echoed round the stands at every home, ‘Pardew
is our king.’ The Europa League beckoned.
Fast forward 12 months. Their last two home games have seen
them lose 6-0 at home to Liverpool and 3-0 against local rivals Sunderland and
they are just five points off the last relegation place with Wigan Athletic
having a game in hand. And crucially those nine goals shipped in front of their
disbelieving fans has given them the same goal difference as Wigan.
Ironically it was Wigan who ended Newcastle’s run last
season as they thrashed them 4-0 at the DW Stadium as they sought to hold on to
their Premier League place. Alan Pardew must be hoping Roberto Martinez men are
more focused on their first FA Cup Final appearance against Manchester City.
But what has happened in the north east? Why have Newcastle
slipped so alarmingly?
Certainly they have missed key players at important times of
the season. Fabricio Collocini and Martin Krul were missing from the Liverpool
debacle for example. And then there was the distraction of the Europa League
adding 14 games to the already full domestic fixture list as well as air miles
and an increased knowledge of the European map.
But back in June, July last year as Pardew set about planning
for the new season it seemed signing new players wasn’t part of the scheme.
Some players were bought in, the likes of Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana and
Curtis Good and it’s fair to say none have made any real impact.
December defeats against Manchester United (3-4) and Arsenal
(3-7) showed something needed to be done and Newcastle were busy in the
Transfer window bringing in Moussa Sissoko, Yoan Guffron, Yapou Yanga-Mbiwa and
Mathieu Debuchy but by then the barn door was closing. The damage had been done
and as Harry Redknapp said recently following Queens’ Park Rangers relegation
the real work is done pre season.
Despite the gap between Newcastle and Wigan Pardew and the
fans won’t be complacent. Two of their three remaining games are in London,
against QPR and West Ham United and the Geordies notoriously return up the A1
with very little to show for their travels.
Then there is the final home game of the season. Against
Arsenal who have their own reasons for not giving the home team an easy ride.
Pardew has gone from being viewed with indifference to be
hailed as the king. Now he is the victim of the boo boys. If Newcastle stay up
the club will have learnt some massive lessons for the future regarding player
recruitment and competition prioritization but whether Pardew will be around to
learn from those lessons remains to be seen.
Jakarta Globe Column 4/5/13 (not posted on line)
IPL Hogs Centre Stage This Weekend. But No One Is Watching!
Just two Indonesia Premier League games this weekend but they are both potentially beauties as the top three are in action.
Today sees second place Perseman Manokwari host Pro Duta in Sleman. Perseman don't have much of a football pedigree though they do boast ex Arsenal striker among their alumni. But they are doing well in the IPL this season and surely one reason for that is the reduced travel time.
Manokwari won't win the prize of the hardest to get to game this season but it sure ain't easy so whoever decided they should switch their home games to Sleman, close to Yogyakarta, was thing straight.
They boast a pretty lethal strike force with Marcio Souza and T A Mushafry bringing plenty of experience but to be honest I don't know too much about the rest of the team.
I know less about Pro Duta, a nomadic team who once flirted with home games in Sleman themselves a few years back but I am not alone there. Former Persiba, Persiter striker Mushafry is quoted in the paper as saying the same thing today!
Indonesia's top flight division gets no TV coverage and very few column inches compared to Indonesia Super League.
Champions and leaders Semen Padang, basking in the glory of their AFC Cup triumphs, travel to the island of Sulawesi to meet PSM Makassar, a traditional football power fallen on hard times of late; I never know whether to compare them with Leeds United or Newcastle United!
The consistent Edward Wilson Junior has been on fire for Semen Padang this season with 14 goals so far including eight in the Cup run. PSM mind have their own prolific goal getter, Ilija Spasojevic, who has managed four this season in his team's seven games; all came against PSIR Rembang's leaky old defence who boast the second worst defence in the league...despite sitting fourth in the table.
Semen Padang don't have so many leaks. They have conceded just one goal so far this season and boast a defender called Ardiles!
The IPL isn't blessed with that many big names and the few there are will be on show in Makassar tomorrow for this game but we won't see it. No TV for the IPL!
1 - Semen Padang 6 5 1 0 15-1 16
2 - Perseman 7 5 1 1 12-4 16
3 - Pro Duta 7 4 2 1 11-3
------------------------------------
10 - PSM 7 3 0 4 9-6 9
Today sees second place Perseman Manokwari host Pro Duta in Sleman. Perseman don't have much of a football pedigree though they do boast ex Arsenal striker among their alumni. But they are doing well in the IPL this season and surely one reason for that is the reduced travel time.
Manokwari won't win the prize of the hardest to get to game this season but it sure ain't easy so whoever decided they should switch their home games to Sleman, close to Yogyakarta, was thing straight.
They boast a pretty lethal strike force with Marcio Souza and T A Mushafry bringing plenty of experience but to be honest I don't know too much about the rest of the team.
I know less about Pro Duta, a nomadic team who once flirted with home games in Sleman themselves a few years back but I am not alone there. Former Persiba, Persiter striker Mushafry is quoted in the paper as saying the same thing today!
Indonesia's top flight division gets no TV coverage and very few column inches compared to Indonesia Super League.
Champions and leaders Semen Padang, basking in the glory of their AFC Cup triumphs, travel to the island of Sulawesi to meet PSM Makassar, a traditional football power fallen on hard times of late; I never know whether to compare them with Leeds United or Newcastle United!
The consistent Edward Wilson Junior has been on fire for Semen Padang this season with 14 goals so far including eight in the Cup run. PSM mind have their own prolific goal getter, Ilija Spasojevic, who has managed four this season in his team's seven games; all came against PSIR Rembang's leaky old defence who boast the second worst defence in the league...despite sitting fourth in the table.
Semen Padang don't have so many leaks. They have conceded just one goal so far this season and boast a defender called Ardiles!
The IPL isn't blessed with that many big names and the few there are will be on show in Makassar tomorrow for this game but we won't see it. No TV for the IPL!
1 - Semen Padang 6 5 1 0 15-1 16
2 - Perseman 7 5 1 1 12-4 16
3 - Pro Duta 7 4 2 1 11-3
------------------------------------
10 - PSM 7 3 0 4 9-6 9
Friday, May 03, 2013
PSPS Changes
It's not been a good season for PSPS Pekanbaru. After their opening 17 games they have just three wins and 14 points to put them in 16th place in the Indonesia Super League.
Coach Mundari Karya has quit while a number of players have also been released. Three, Rohit Chand, M Ilham and Glen Poluakan have joined fellow cellar dwellers Persija while Slamet Riyadi, Lee Su Hyong, Trias Budi and Amin Syarifuddin have also been allowed to leave.
The club don't seem to be in a hurry to replace Mundari. Indeed a quote in a local tabloid today suggests they will allow a couple off assistant coaches lead the team till the end of the season because 'they better understand the character of the players. If they have the proper licences.
Meanwhile PSPS will switch home grounds for the second half of the season. After a few months in Bangkinang they will return to Rumbai Stadium in Pekanbaru hoping to get a larger take at the gate.
Reading between the lines the club are skint and have resigned themselves to relegation. Appointing a new coach is not seen as worthwhile as he would only cost more money!
Coach Mundari Karya has quit while a number of players have also been released. Three, Rohit Chand, M Ilham and Glen Poluakan have joined fellow cellar dwellers Persija while Slamet Riyadi, Lee Su Hyong, Trias Budi and Amin Syarifuddin have also been allowed to leave.
The club don't seem to be in a hurry to replace Mundari. Indeed a quote in a local tabloid today suggests they will allow a couple off assistant coaches lead the team till the end of the season because 'they better understand the character of the players. If they have the proper licences.
Meanwhile PSPS will switch home grounds for the second half of the season. After a few months in Bangkinang they will return to Rumbai Stadium in Pekanbaru hoping to get a larger take at the gate.
Reading between the lines the club are skint and have resigned themselves to relegation. Appointing a new coach is not seen as worthwhile as he would only cost more money!
Persija's New Signings
Persija's awful first half of the season has been well documented. Just three wins leave them rooted to the bottom of the Indonesia Super League.
PSPS are two places and two points above them but it looks like things are worse in Pekanbaru than Jakarta. I obvioulsy don't know that for sure but when Rohit Chand, M Ilham and Glen Poulakan bail out of Sumatra for the capital city putting one and one together isn't that difficult.
Joining that trio at Persija are former Sriwijaya defender Jamie Coyne, striker Emmanuel Kenmonge and goalkeeper Andritany Ardhiyasa.
Will that be enough to see Persija climb the table?
Top scorer Pedro Javier is being released while the future of Fabiano Beltrane is unclear.
PSPS are two places and two points above them but it looks like things are worse in Pekanbaru than Jakarta. I obvioulsy don't know that for sure but when Rohit Chand, M Ilham and Glen Poulakan bail out of Sumatra for the capital city putting one and one together isn't that difficult.
Joining that trio at Persija are former Sriwijaya defender Jamie Coyne, striker Emmanuel Kenmonge and goalkeeper Andritany Ardhiyasa.
Will that be enough to see Persija climb the table?
Top scorer Pedro Javier is being released while the future of Fabiano Beltrane is unclear.
Did You See The Blue Moon In Papua?
Persipura v Arema 1-1 (Zah Rahan; Greg Nwokolo) 24,858
Persela v Persib 1-1 (Samsul Arif; M Ridwan) 11,160
Persiwa v Persegres 0-1 (Aldo Baretto) 3,842
Persiram v Sriwijaya 0-1 (Hilton Moreira) 1,276
Persidafon v Pelita Bandung Raya 1-1 (Wanggai; Gaston Castano) 1,500
Football? Bloody hell! I can't recall when all the Papuan teams have failed to win a home game before!.
Persela v Persib 1-1 (Samsul Arif; M Ridwan) 11,160
Persiwa v Persegres 0-1 (Aldo Baretto) 3,842
Persiram v Sriwijaya 0-1 (Hilton Moreira) 1,276
Persidafon v Pelita Bandung Raya 1-1 (Wanggai; Gaston Castano) 1,500
Football? Bloody hell! I can't recall when all the Papuan teams have failed to win a home game before!.
- Persipura drop their first home point of the season
- Persiram's first home defeat of the season
- Persiwa's first home defeat of the season, only their 3rd in the last five seasons
In fact the team with the worst home record, Persidafon, got the best result!
1 - Persipura 17 12 5 0 38-6 41
2 - Arema 17 11 2 4 34-16 35
3 - Sriwijaya 17 11 2 4 32-24 35
4 - Persib 17 10 4 3 38-22 34
5 - Mitra Kukar 17 10 2 5 32-26 32
15 - Boas Solossa (Persipura)
12 - Djibril Coulibaly (Barito Putra)
11 - Sergio Van Dijk (Persib), Alberto Goncalves, Cristian Gonzales (Arema)
10 - James Koko Lomell (Persiram), Camera Sekou (Persiwa)
Divisi Utama
Persbul v Perssin 5-1
Mojokerto Putra v Persewangi 3-1
PS Bengkulu v Persisko 0-2
PS Bangka v Persih 4-0
Persigo v PS Sumbawa Barat 1-1
Persisko recovered from the thrashing they received last time out away to PS Bangka by collecting three points away to bottom side Bengkulu keeping their three point lead at the top of Group 1
SLeague
Woodlands Wellington v Balestier Khalsa 3-1 (Soon Ho Moon 2, Jo Yoon Chang; OG)
Warriors Hope Table Lies
Once upon a time SAFFC bestrode Singapore football in the same way Manchester United look down on the rest in England. Trophies were deemed a right and in one golden spell they collected the SLeague four times on the spin with two Singapore Cups and two Charity Shields thrown in for good measure. They even competed in the AFC Champions League on two occasions.
And now? Unceremoniously dumped out of the AFC Cup after finishing bottom and managing just a single victory at home to Churchill Brothers. 9th in the SLeague and in fact if you discount Young Lions who have zero points Warriors in fact share the last place with Hougang United and Geylang International.
Tables can lie though. Warriors have two games in hand on their rivals; win those and they would be in the top five. And while two wins in their last six games is not the thing champions are made of they have been handicapped by competing in the AFC Cup which must have disrupted their domestic form.
Now the AFC Cup adventure is over they can concentrate locally but face two tricky games on the immediate horizon with a trip to DPMM, never easy, followed by title challengers Albriex Niigata at home.
Coach V Selvaraj will be hoping his team can find some consistency now and will also be looking forward to defending the Singapore Cup when they host Global from the Philippines in early June.
And now? Unceremoniously dumped out of the AFC Cup after finishing bottom and managing just a single victory at home to Churchill Brothers. 9th in the SLeague and in fact if you discount Young Lions who have zero points Warriors in fact share the last place with Hougang United and Geylang International.
Tables can lie though. Warriors have two games in hand on their rivals; win those and they would be in the top five. And while two wins in their last six games is not the thing champions are made of they have been handicapped by competing in the AFC Cup which must have disrupted their domestic form.
Now the AFC Cup adventure is over they can concentrate locally but face two tricky games on the immediate horizon with a trip to DPMM, never easy, followed by title challengers Albriex Niigata at home.
Coach V Selvaraj will be hoping his team can find some consistency now and will also be looking forward to defending the Singapore Cup when they host Global from the Philippines in early June.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Persiku Edge Persip In Derby(ish)
Persiku v Persip 1-0 (Mardziana) 7,324
Persis v PPSM 4-2 (Windu, Bayu, Yogaspria, Indra; Hermawan, Ferry) 2,773
Persitema v Persipur 1-0 (Sumariyanto) 6,103
A trio local derbies played out in the nether regions of Divisi Utama yesterday
Persis v PPSM 4-2 (Windu, Bayu, Yogaspria, Indra; Hermawan, Ferry) 2,773
Persitema v Persipur 1-0 (Sumariyanto) 6,103
A trio local derbies played out in the nether regions of Divisi Utama yesterday
Hougang Overcome Home
Hougang United v Home United 1-0 (Beattie)
Harimau Muda v DPMM 2-1 (Faizat Ghazli, Maxsius Musa; Dos Santos)
Two foreign teams locked horns in Johor with the Malaysians just edging the Brunei team in the SLeague while the supposed North East Derby Thomas Beattie's first goal of the season. Home had been unbeaten in their previous four games while the Cheetahs won back to back for the first time this season
Harimau Muda v DPMM 2-1 (Faizat Ghazli, Maxsius Musa; Dos Santos)
Two foreign teams locked horns in Johor with the Malaysians just edging the Brunei team in the SLeague while the supposed North East Derby Thomas Beattie's first goal of the season. Home had been unbeaten in their previous four games while the Cheetahs won back to back for the first time this season
