Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Indonesia Super League Fixtures Announced
The big kick off draws ever closer in Indonesia. Or further away!
The 2015 Indonesia Super League was set to begin 1st February but with a number of issues still to be settled, not least the Inter Island Cup 2014 and the SCM Cup 2015 the league was put back until 21/2 and in fine style two fixture lists have been drawn up.
One takes into account Persib competing in the Asian Champions League and the other comes into play if they fail to make the continent's premier club tournament. Given their first qualifier is just a couple of weeks away and Persib have yet to finalise their squad for the new season, and given their first tie is a one off away game at Hanoi T&T the rest of this article will use the second fixture list!
As you may, or may not, recall there were to have been 20 teams taking part in the new season but with Persik and Persiwa not meeting the required benchmarks there will be just 18. That means just one side has been promoted, Pusamania Borneo.
The season kicks off with champions Persib hosting three time ISL champions Persipura on 21/2 while the following day sees SCM Cup winners Arema hosting Bali United Pusam...formerly known as Pusam, formerly known as Persisam.
Persija and Semen Padang also go toe to toe on the 22/2 and both sides feature in my Jakarta Globe column this week.
Big spending Sriwijaya host Perseru in what should be a comfortable opening game for Benny Dollo's men but on 28/2 they are in the deep end with a game against a Persipura side facing up to life without Jacksen F Tiago this season. However continuity remains the name of the game at the Black Pearls with the club keeping much of last season's squad as well as bringing in defender Ricardo Salempessy, Lancine Kone and the much sought after Zulham Zamrun.
Newly promoted Pusamania begin their debut ISL campaign in East Java with a double header against Gresik United (22/2) and Persebaya (26/2). Funnily enough, it wasn't that long ago, 2013 to be precise, that Pusamania were a struggling club from Madura, East Java known as Perseba Super Bangkalan before the license was bought and the club relocated, renamed and rebranded.
Talking about the three re's, Samarinda misses out on its own local derby after Pusam upped sticks for Bali and they begin their campaign also in East Java with games against Arema and Persela.
PSM are hoping they have done enough to return to their home town of Makassar after a season in Surabaya and with new coach Alfred Riedl at the helm they begin the season away to Persiba Balikpapan before hosting Persib and Sriwijaya in quick succession.
Meanwhile spare a though for Dejan Antonic. They have made some astute moves in the transfer market, bringing in Ilija Spasojevic and Yongki Aribowo but they are still looking for a home ground after seeing Siliwangi Stadium knocked back. The fixture list, perhaps sensing their conumdrum, has sentenced them to three straight away games; Persija, Barito Putra and Semen Padang before hosting Bali United on 10/3!
20/02 - Persib v Persipura
21/02 - Persija v Semen Padang, Persela v Persiram, Arema v Bali United
22/02 - Gresik United v Pusamania, Persebaya v Mitra Kukar
23/02 - Sriwijaya v Perseru
24/02 - Persela v Bali United, Persija v Pelita Bandung Raya
25/02 - Barito Putera v Semen Padang, Arema v Persiram
26/02 - Persebaya v Pusamania, Gresik United v Mitra Kukar
27/02 - Persiba v PSM
Fixtures can and likely will change so don't go booking any flights!
The 2015 Indonesia Super League was set to begin 1st February but with a number of issues still to be settled, not least the Inter Island Cup 2014 and the SCM Cup 2015 the league was put back until 21/2 and in fine style two fixture lists have been drawn up.
One takes into account Persib competing in the Asian Champions League and the other comes into play if they fail to make the continent's premier club tournament. Given their first qualifier is just a couple of weeks away and Persib have yet to finalise their squad for the new season, and given their first tie is a one off away game at Hanoi T&T the rest of this article will use the second fixture list!
As you may, or may not, recall there were to have been 20 teams taking part in the new season but with Persik and Persiwa not meeting the required benchmarks there will be just 18. That means just one side has been promoted, Pusamania Borneo.
The season kicks off with champions Persib hosting three time ISL champions Persipura on 21/2 while the following day sees SCM Cup winners Arema hosting Bali United Pusam...formerly known as Pusam, formerly known as Persisam.
Persija and Semen Padang also go toe to toe on the 22/2 and both sides feature in my Jakarta Globe column this week.
Big spending Sriwijaya host Perseru in what should be a comfortable opening game for Benny Dollo's men but on 28/2 they are in the deep end with a game against a Persipura side facing up to life without Jacksen F Tiago this season. However continuity remains the name of the game at the Black Pearls with the club keeping much of last season's squad as well as bringing in defender Ricardo Salempessy, Lancine Kone and the much sought after Zulham Zamrun.
Newly promoted Pusamania begin their debut ISL campaign in East Java with a double header against Gresik United (22/2) and Persebaya (26/2). Funnily enough, it wasn't that long ago, 2013 to be precise, that Pusamania were a struggling club from Madura, East Java known as Perseba Super Bangkalan before the license was bought and the club relocated, renamed and rebranded.
Talking about the three re's, Samarinda misses out on its own local derby after Pusam upped sticks for Bali and they begin their campaign also in East Java with games against Arema and Persela.
PSM are hoping they have done enough to return to their home town of Makassar after a season in Surabaya and with new coach Alfred Riedl at the helm they begin the season away to Persiba Balikpapan before hosting Persib and Sriwijaya in quick succession.
Meanwhile spare a though for Dejan Antonic. They have made some astute moves in the transfer market, bringing in Ilija Spasojevic and Yongki Aribowo but they are still looking for a home ground after seeing Siliwangi Stadium knocked back. The fixture list, perhaps sensing their conumdrum, has sentenced them to three straight away games; Persija, Barito Putra and Semen Padang before hosting Bali United on 10/3!
20/02 - Persib v Persipura
21/02 - Persija v Semen Padang, Persela v Persiram, Arema v Bali United
22/02 - Gresik United v Pusamania, Persebaya v Mitra Kukar
23/02 - Sriwijaya v Perseru
24/02 - Persela v Bali United, Persija v Pelita Bandung Raya
25/02 - Barito Putera v Semen Padang, Arema v Persiram
26/02 - Persebaya v Pusamania, Gresik United v Mitra Kukar
27/02 - Persiba v PSM
Fixtures can and likely will change so don't go booking any flights!
# posted by Me @ 11:58 AM 
