Saturday, February 18, 2012
Persisam's Poor Home Form
When Persisam Samarinda signed Christian Gonzales and Yongki Aribowo ahead of the current Indonesia Super League you could not help but think the club from East Kalimantan were sending out a big message. They wanted to be in the mix when it came to dishing out the trophies and with the aging Gonzales combing with the youthful Aribowo there was no reason for Persisam fans not to be optimistic.
Coach Daniel Roekito must have been history would repeat itself. Gonzales, now an Indonesian international, had been an integral part of the Persik Kediri team that had won the Liga Indonesia as it was then known back in 2006. Prompted by the intelligent probing of Ronald Fagundez they had been all but unplayable that season going forward. Defense was a concern but with the attacking talent Persik boasted who cared about that?
History however is not repeating itself. Gonzales is a shadow of the player he was once and Aribowo has yet to fully make his mark in the. The midfield, boasting the likes of Eka Ramdhani and Fandy Mochtar alongside Fagundez has yet to provide the ammunition for the strikers on a regular basis and the Borneo Eagles return of 17 goals, a total matched by bottom team Persiram, in 17 games is a poor return on that investment.
The Segiri Stadium, Persisam’s home stadium, has not been the fortress it once was. A fine start to the season with wins over Papuan duo Persipura and Persiwa has been followed by a fallow spell of two wins and three defeats and their 2-1 reverse against local rivals Mitra Kukar was their third consecutive defeat at home.
The fans are still behind the team though. The attendance against Mitra Kukar, 14,680, was their largest of the season, helped by a smattering of away fans, and their average remains a healthy 13,500.
Things aren’t going to get any easier though; after a near two week break their next game is away to a Sriwijaya team who are desperate to win the ISL and are rampant.
