Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Indonesia v Australia preview
Seven hours to kick off and I'm looking forward to a good few gargles!
Indonesia have problems. They have been in training since November (three month mid season break! Eat your heart out Pim!) but their last four games have produced just one own goal and three defeats admittedly against pretty strong opposition.
AFF Cup v Singapore 0-2
AFF Cup v Thailand 0-1
AFF Cup v Thailand 1-2
Asian Cup v Oman 0-0
Not a run designed to strike terror into the visiting Aussies, second team or not. A solitary goal and that from an og, you don't need coaching badges to see where the Indonesians struggle.
A strike force built around Bambang Pamungkas, Boaz Solossa and Budi Sudarsono should have goals aplenty within them but when it comes to getting on the pitch they seem to struggle. Little is produced from the midfield, the flanks are not tested as often as they should be, perhaps they get a little naive.
Players like Elie Aiboy, Firman Utina are undoubted talents but we will never know how good they are until they do something on the big stage and Indonesia have failed there big time. Among the ASEAN nations they just squeeze into the top 4, Asia wide they just don't appear on the radar.
Today sees an experienced squad up against a bunch of players with little experience. Do Indonesia have that litle something, the je ne c'est pas to get behind the Aussies, to get in their faces, to unsettle them. e sure with more than half the team making debuts they sure as hell won't be wanting to take too may risks. Not in front of 75,000 hostile fans and under the critical eye of their coach.
Risk. Do the Indonesians have the balls to take risks? Do they have the stamina to get on the front foot and stay there all game? Do they have the creativity to unlock a packed defence?
Recent results suggest not. Is the draw in Oman the start of a new era in Indonesian football or will we return to the same old, same old? Tonight could well be their best chance of a victory of their southern neigbours...it's up to them to grab it.
Indonesia have problems. They have been in training since November (three month mid season break! Eat your heart out Pim!) but their last four games have produced just one own goal and three defeats admittedly against pretty strong opposition.
AFF Cup v Singapore 0-2
AFF Cup v Thailand 0-1
AFF Cup v Thailand 1-2
Asian Cup v Oman 0-0
Not a run designed to strike terror into the visiting Aussies, second team or not. A solitary goal and that from an og, you don't need coaching badges to see where the Indonesians struggle.
A strike force built around Bambang Pamungkas, Boaz Solossa and Budi Sudarsono should have goals aplenty within them but when it comes to getting on the pitch they seem to struggle. Little is produced from the midfield, the flanks are not tested as often as they should be, perhaps they get a little naive.
Players like Elie Aiboy, Firman Utina are undoubted talents but we will never know how good they are until they do something on the big stage and Indonesia have failed there big time. Among the ASEAN nations they just squeeze into the top 4, Asia wide they just don't appear on the radar.
Today sees an experienced squad up against a bunch of players with little experience. Do Indonesia have that litle something, the je ne c'est pas to get behind the Aussies, to get in their faces, to unsettle them. e sure with more than half the team making debuts they sure as hell won't be wanting to take too may risks. Not in front of 75,000 hostile fans and under the critical eye of their coach.
Risk. Do the Indonesians have the balls to take risks? Do they have the stamina to get on the front foot and stay there all game? Do they have the creativity to unlock a packed defence?
Recent results suggest not. Is the draw in Oman the start of a new era in Indonesian football or will we return to the same old, same old? Tonight could well be their best chance of a victory of their southern neigbours...it's up to them to grab it.
# posted by Me @ 12:09 PM 
