Saturday, March 20, 2010
Match of the Day
Just a couple of weeks ago I was writing off Sriwijaya's chances of a second Indonesian title in three years. A 2-1 reverse at home to Bontang following a 1-0 defeat away to Persija had deprived the Palembang six valuable points in the race for the ISL.
Today they host leaders Arema knowing that victory today could well blow the league right open.
1 - Arema 23 15 3 5 30-11 48
2 - Persiba 25 14 4 7 36-19 46
3 - Persipura 24 12 9 3 40-25 45
4 - Persib 23 13 3 7 38-22 42
5 - Sriwijaya 23 11 4 8 32-28 37
Especially with 2nd against 3rd at Persiba Stadium in Balikpapan, both teams salivating at the thought of an Arema slip up.
Arema have the second best away record in the league, Persipura have the best, while Sriwijaya's home record may be good, just one defeat, they have needlessly dropped points there along the way and crowds have dropped. Their defence has also been a cause for concern with 28 goals conceded though five conceded in their last eight shows progress.
Indeed it seems that Sriwijaya seem to finding form at just the right moment. In the AFC Cup they are unbeaten having drawn 0-0 in the Maldives before coming from behind to beat 10 man Selangor last time out 6-1.
Goals have been an issue all season. Pre season they were linked with every striker known to man, coming close to snaring Aleksander Duric but it was not to be. They finally, in the mid season break, secured Pavel Solomin from Uzbekistan but perhaps too late. Richard Obiora has been too profligate and much has been asked of the consistent Keith Kayamba Gumbs.
With a midfield boasting of the mercurial Liberian international Zah Rahan, who rejected a move to South Korea last year I understand, Ponaryo Astaman and Arif Suyono Rahmad Darmawan's men have creativity oozing through the pores of the team, perhaps the best midfield in the land bar Persib.
Arema boast less stars but do have a disciplined team who work hard for each other and follow instructions from the bench. Seven away wins is a league high and they will go into this game confident they can beat anyone. Earlier in the season they did a job on Sriwijaya, 3-0, in front of an empty Malang stadium. Why not in Palembang where you can be sure there will be a smattering of Arema fans making the long journey.
When new signing Landry was moved on coach Robert Alberts moved swifty to add journey man midfielder Esteban to the team and he has laready proved his worth with some fine performances in the middle as well as getting on the score sheet.
The form book doesn't favour Arema. Their last two visits to the Jakabaring Stadium has seen them lose 4-0 and 2-0. A similar result today would be celebrated in Balikpapan and Jayapura.
Today they host leaders Arema knowing that victory today could well blow the league right open.
1 - Arema 23 15 3 5 30-11 48
2 - Persiba 25 14 4 7 36-19 46
3 - Persipura 24 12 9 3 40-25 45
4 - Persib 23 13 3 7 38-22 42
5 - Sriwijaya 23 11 4 8 32-28 37
Especially with 2nd against 3rd at Persiba Stadium in Balikpapan, both teams salivating at the thought of an Arema slip up.
Arema have the second best away record in the league, Persipura have the best, while Sriwijaya's home record may be good, just one defeat, they have needlessly dropped points there along the way and crowds have dropped. Their defence has also been a cause for concern with 28 goals conceded though five conceded in their last eight shows progress.
Indeed it seems that Sriwijaya seem to finding form at just the right moment. In the AFC Cup they are unbeaten having drawn 0-0 in the Maldives before coming from behind to beat 10 man Selangor last time out 6-1.
Goals have been an issue all season. Pre season they were linked with every striker known to man, coming close to snaring Aleksander Duric but it was not to be. They finally, in the mid season break, secured Pavel Solomin from Uzbekistan but perhaps too late. Richard Obiora has been too profligate and much has been asked of the consistent Keith Kayamba Gumbs.
With a midfield boasting of the mercurial Liberian international Zah Rahan, who rejected a move to South Korea last year I understand, Ponaryo Astaman and Arif Suyono Rahmad Darmawan's men have creativity oozing through the pores of the team, perhaps the best midfield in the land bar Persib.
Arema boast less stars but do have a disciplined team who work hard for each other and follow instructions from the bench. Seven away wins is a league high and they will go into this game confident they can beat anyone. Earlier in the season they did a job on Sriwijaya, 3-0, in front of an empty Malang stadium. Why not in Palembang where you can be sure there will be a smattering of Arema fans making the long journey.
When new signing Landry was moved on coach Robert Alberts moved swifty to add journey man midfielder Esteban to the team and he has laready proved his worth with some fine performances in the middle as well as getting on the score sheet.
The form book doesn't favour Arema. Their last two visits to the Jakabaring Stadium has seen them lose 4-0 and 2-0. A similar result today would be celebrated in Balikpapan and Jayapura.
# posted by Me @ 8:03 AM 
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my prediction : Sriwijaya vs Arema = 2-1 , Persiba vs Persipura = 1-2...............tight weekend for big four.....
It's a damn sight more entertaining than the A-League 'Grand Final', that's for sure. On top of rabbiting on about the intensity of the rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney and how physical the game is, the stattos are trying to impress upon the viewers just how much running is taking place.
Read: 0-0 into the second half and scoring chances, to put it kindly, are at a premium.
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Read: 0-0 into the second half and scoring chances, to put it kindly, are at a premium.
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