Saturday, April 19, 2014
Divisi Utama Opening Day
The first day of a new season is always an exciting one. Clubs and fans start with clean records and
big dreams.Unless you are a fan of Persipasi. They arrived at their brand spanking new Patriot Stadium
to find it all locked up and security all around to ensure no one could gain admittance!
Why? Who the hell knows...some local petty official playing at Mr Big perhaps. Now, Persipasi are
threatening to withdraw from the league.
Their fans have taken the battle to the internet, making a petition asking for the stadium to be reopened.
Another game never happened. With Persebuol being awarded a walkover, can I assume Persid Jember
never even made it to Sulawesi?
OK, in games that actually took place, and I am not going to list them all cos there are too damned
many, Divisi Utama favourites Persikabo won 2-1 at newly promoted Villa 2000 with Rudi Widodo and
Aji Mostapha getting the goals after Fadhil Ibrahim had given the new boys a dream start in front of
1,323 in Ciracas.
With Persikabo boasting s starting 11 featuring Budi Sudarsono, Aldo Baretto, Joel Tsimi and
Johan Juansyah as well as the goalscorers and the likes of Bobby Satria and Aliyudin on the bench,
you can see why hopes are high at the club.
One club thought to have withdrawn from the league managed to stay put. Persiraja defeated PSMS
in Banda Aceh but the fans don’t seem to have to enthused with just 2,000 bothering to turn up.
One team that don’t have any trouble with fans turning up are one of several sleeping giants in Central
Java, Persis. They hosted PPSM at Manahan Stadium and were held to a 2-2 draw in front of 13,470.
In another Central Java game, PSIS defeated Persipur 3-1 in front of 8,725...not that bad a crowd
considering the season started on the first day of the national school exams.
New team Pusamania Borneo defeated Perseta 2-0 in their first ever game after buying out
Perseba Super Balangkan. Formed by fans annoyed by the politics of the game here, just 250 attended
the birth of the new team with the experienced Danilo Fernando scoring the first goal from the penalty
spot on 16 minutes. Febri Hamzah scored the second on 23 minutes to get the club off to a flying start.
# posted by Me @ 10:59 AM 
