Monday, July 15, 2013
Bung Karno Nightmare
They were called the dream team but looked more like a nightmare dragged up from Dante's visions of hell.
That the best Indonesia has to offer could fade so quickly into irrelevance against a team still working towards full fitness is a shocking indictment of the game in this country.
Remember, Indonesian players are in their season, they should be at their peak. if that is their peak then we might as well all give up.
We have been here before. Back in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 the Indonesian team huffed and puffed like aIvor The Engine to little avail.
Against the Netherlands they equipped themselves well enough until the last 20 minutes or so.
Everybody talks about the players stamina but the only remedy seems to be more punishing running regimes installed by nutters who should not be allowed anywherevnear a football club.
As with so much in this country it is the mindset that is lacking. For all the problems in the Thai set up they still managed to put together a team that could beat Manchester United.
Globalisation is out there but passing Indonesia by. Too many want to be big fish in a small pond and lack the vision to look beyond their own limited horizons.
UPDATE - sorry, the original was a mess as I wrote it sat in a traffic jam on the Antasari flyover!
That the best Indonesia has to offer could fade so quickly into irrelevance against a team still working towards full fitness is a shocking indictment of the game in this country.
Remember, Indonesian players are in their season, they should be at their peak. if that is their peak then we might as well all give up.
We have been here before. Back in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 the Indonesian team huffed and puffed like aIvor The Engine to little avail.
Against the Netherlands they equipped themselves well enough until the last 20 minutes or so.
Everybody talks about the players stamina but the only remedy seems to be more punishing running regimes installed by nutters who should not be allowed anywherevnear a football club.
As with so much in this country it is the mindset that is lacking. For all the problems in the Thai set up they still managed to put together a team that could beat Manchester United.
Globalisation is out there but passing Indonesia by. Too many want to be big fish in a small pond and lack the vision to look beyond their own limited horizons.
UPDATE - sorry, the original was a mess as I wrote it sat in a traffic jam on the Antasari flyover!