Thursday, June 06, 2013
Persija v Persipura 2-3
When two in form teams collide you expect an exciting game. It doesn't always happen of course; English football is littered with hype before any of the big teams go head to head yet all too often the game fizzles out and the headlines soon forgotten.
Not this time. Persipura went into the game unbeaten all season, Persija on their best run of the season. And both teams played like it as the game matched its billing and more.
Persipura were ahead within three minutes, the mercurial Zah Rahan's speculative effort from 20 yards coming off the crossbar and bouncing off the hapless keeper.
It took Persija a while to make an impression, so adept were the league leaders at winning and keeping the ball but the home team ground themselves back into the game with new signing Kenmogne proving increasingly influential.
With their first real attack of the game Persija were level through Kenmogne, breaching a mean defence that had conceded just eight goals all season.
The goal spurred Kemayoran Tigers and they pressed well forcing the champions on to the back foot and giving Cameroonian defender Paulin Pierre Bio a torrid time.
Deep into injury time Kenmogne gave Persija the lead with a header.
The saying is the best time to score a goal is right before half time. Obviously Persipura don't agree as they came out of the blocks second half and were level within eight minutes, Ruben Sanadi celebrating his call up for the national team by levelling.
It was end to end stuff with the Black Pearls playing lovely but powerful football. They are a big team, big and strong, yet at their heart is the Liberian Zah Rahan, small but supremely talented.
A couple of substitutions in the last 10 minutes decided the game. Benny Dollo surprisingly withdrew Kenmogne, replacing him with Rudi Setiawan while Persipura replaced Ian Louis Kabes with a ball boy. In his first six games Kenmogne has hit five goals, immediately endearing himself to the home support.
No, that's not fair! Yohanes Ferinando Pahabol is tiny though and blessed with the speed of a whippet. His impact was immediate, scoring a thunderbolt three minutes from the end, hitting the crossbar and stinging Galih's gloves with another scorching effort.
The ref finally blew and the travelling Persipura support, who according to earlier media reports shouldn't have even been at the game, went crazy. It was a great game of football between two teams who played football. I know, sounds daft but many teams don't even try and do that.
I haven't mentioned Boas Solossa. Always a threat he was outshone by the likes of Zah Rahan and Pahabol's cameo yet his was a measured, mature performance for the team.
This was the first time Persija have been able to play in front of their own fans for several months and just under 17,000 came out to support their team. One or two morons tried to start some racist chants whenever Persipura players got near to the touch line but they were ignored by everyone else which was good to see.
In the day's other game PSPS defeated Persiwa in a game that was polar opposite to the one in Jakarta. Two teams in shocking form but it was the home team that shaded it with M Isnani scoring on 78'. They remain bottom but Persiwa are now just four points off a relegation place and their coach Subangkit stepped down after the match
Not this time. Persipura went into the game unbeaten all season, Persija on their best run of the season. And both teams played like it as the game matched its billing and more.
Persipura were ahead within three minutes, the mercurial Zah Rahan's speculative effort from 20 yards coming off the crossbar and bouncing off the hapless keeper.
It took Persija a while to make an impression, so adept were the league leaders at winning and keeping the ball but the home team ground themselves back into the game with new signing Kenmogne proving increasingly influential.
With their first real attack of the game Persija were level through Kenmogne, breaching a mean defence that had conceded just eight goals all season.
The goal spurred Kemayoran Tigers and they pressed well forcing the champions on to the back foot and giving Cameroonian defender Paulin Pierre Bio a torrid time.
Deep into injury time Kenmogne gave Persija the lead with a header.
The saying is the best time to score a goal is right before half time. Obviously Persipura don't agree as they came out of the blocks second half and were level within eight minutes, Ruben Sanadi celebrating his call up for the national team by levelling.
It was end to end stuff with the Black Pearls playing lovely but powerful football. They are a big team, big and strong, yet at their heart is the Liberian Zah Rahan, small but supremely talented.
A couple of substitutions in the last 10 minutes decided the game. Benny Dollo surprisingly withdrew Kenmogne, replacing him with Rudi Setiawan while Persipura replaced Ian Louis Kabes with a ball boy. In his first six games Kenmogne has hit five goals, immediately endearing himself to the home support.
No, that's not fair! Yohanes Ferinando Pahabol is tiny though and blessed with the speed of a whippet. His impact was immediate, scoring a thunderbolt three minutes from the end, hitting the crossbar and stinging Galih's gloves with another scorching effort.
The ref finally blew and the travelling Persipura support, who according to earlier media reports shouldn't have even been at the game, went crazy. It was a great game of football between two teams who played football. I know, sounds daft but many teams don't even try and do that.
I haven't mentioned Boas Solossa. Always a threat he was outshone by the likes of Zah Rahan and Pahabol's cameo yet his was a measured, mature performance for the team.
This was the first time Persija have been able to play in front of their own fans for several months and just under 17,000 came out to support their team. One or two morons tried to start some racist chants whenever Persipura players got near to the touch line but they were ignored by everyone else which was good to see.
In the day's other game PSPS defeated Persiwa in a game that was polar opposite to the one in Jakarta. Two teams in shocking form but it was the home team that shaded it with M Isnani scoring on 78'. They remain bottom but Persiwa are now just four points off a relegation place and their coach Subangkit stepped down after the match
# posted by Me @ 7:17 AM 
