Saturday, October 08, 2016
Arema's Loss In East Java Derby Continues Poor Form
Bhayangkara v Pusamania 2-1 (Wahyu Subo Seto, Thiago Furtuoso; Ricky Akbar Ohorella) 2,052
Ok so Bhayangkara may be a new club lacking in tradition or history but surely a 4-0 win at Jakabaring Stadium against Sriwijaya was a result to make people sit up and take notice? But no. That was last week, this was this week and despite the side being on a roll, one loss in last five games, a measly 2,000 bothered turning out for this game against Pusamania to see another three points gathered and the club remain two points behind leaders.
Mind, their core support is the police force, the club came about because of some kind of deal between Surabaya United and PS Polri, and there not much to suggest they have managed to attract a new generation of supporter to their stadium in Sidoarjo, a city with two clubs (Deltras and Persida) with their own history and fanbase.
As such the team have tended to operate below the radar even with the precocious talents of Evan Dimas on board and the coach Ibnu Grahan is probably happy to stay their as long as the results go their way.
As for Pusamania the loss ended an unbeaten run of five games and saw coach Dragan Dukanovic, well known for his acerbic post match comments about Indonesian football, say the game needed a magician to solve its problems.
Gresik United v Arema 1-0 (Patrick da Silva) 18,417
Despite Arema's positive start to the campaign they Crazy Lions have failed to really impress, often grinding out results against robust opponents but rarely setting the ISC on fire. There have been stand out performers, skipper Hamkah Hamza and Raphael Maitimo spring to mind for example, but you rarely come away from an Arema game going woo and wow.
This loss in an East Java Derby means their poor run of form continues with just two wins in their last eight games and while they remain in touch with leaders Madura United, Arema are a point behond with the Madurese set to play Persib today, that only highlights the general lack of consistency throughout the league. Or the fact that most teams are of a fairly equal standard?
That Arema's last two wins have come against title chasing rivals Madura and Bhayangkara suggests the team has all the necessary tools in the locker to secure the ISC but the frequent dropping of points against more 'lowly' opposition like Persiba and Mitra Kukar, and of course this loss,suggests perhaps a mental challenge for coach Milo Seslija as he seeks to rediscover that grittiness that was so successful earlier in the campaign.
In a way, Gresik United's new coach Eduward Tjong, fresh from his efforts with the national Under 19s, has similar issues. He has inherited a team that can rise to the occasion in the big games, they
have defeated Sriwijaya and Persib this season as well as Arema, but have struggled to get their act together against the rest of the ISC, especially on their travels where they have shipped 30 goals in their 11 games.
It was no surprise to see Brazilian striker da Silva score yesterday. It was his seventh of the campaign and if ever the adage 'cometh the hour, cometh the man', were to ring true then it is with the homely East Java side. It was his pair that ended Sriwijaya's unbeaten start to the season while he also netted one in the win over Persib.
Indonesia Soccer Championship B Final 16
Persiraja v PSIM 1-2 7,660
Martapura v Persik 4-0
International Friendly
Singapore v Malaysia 0-0
Ok so Bhayangkara may be a new club lacking in tradition or history but surely a 4-0 win at Jakabaring Stadium against Sriwijaya was a result to make people sit up and take notice? But no. That was last week, this was this week and despite the side being on a roll, one loss in last five games, a measly 2,000 bothered turning out for this game against Pusamania to see another three points gathered and the club remain two points behind leaders.
Mind, their core support is the police force, the club came about because of some kind of deal between Surabaya United and PS Polri, and there not much to suggest they have managed to attract a new generation of supporter to their stadium in Sidoarjo, a city with two clubs (Deltras and Persida) with their own history and fanbase.
As such the team have tended to operate below the radar even with the precocious talents of Evan Dimas on board and the coach Ibnu Grahan is probably happy to stay their as long as the results go their way.
As for Pusamania the loss ended an unbeaten run of five games and saw coach Dragan Dukanovic, well known for his acerbic post match comments about Indonesian football, say the game needed a magician to solve its problems.
Gresik United v Arema 1-0 (Patrick da Silva) 18,417
Despite Arema's positive start to the campaign they Crazy Lions have failed to really impress, often grinding out results against robust opponents but rarely setting the ISC on fire. There have been stand out performers, skipper Hamkah Hamza and Raphael Maitimo spring to mind for example, but you rarely come away from an Arema game going woo and wow.
This loss in an East Java Derby means their poor run of form continues with just two wins in their last eight games and while they remain in touch with leaders Madura United, Arema are a point behond with the Madurese set to play Persib today, that only highlights the general lack of consistency throughout the league. Or the fact that most teams are of a fairly equal standard?
That Arema's last two wins have come against title chasing rivals Madura and Bhayangkara suggests the team has all the necessary tools in the locker to secure the ISC but the frequent dropping of points against more 'lowly' opposition like Persiba and Mitra Kukar, and of course this loss,suggests perhaps a mental challenge for coach Milo Seslija as he seeks to rediscover that grittiness that was so successful earlier in the campaign.
In a way, Gresik United's new coach Eduward Tjong, fresh from his efforts with the national Under 19s, has similar issues. He has inherited a team that can rise to the occasion in the big games, they
have defeated Sriwijaya and Persib this season as well as Arema, but have struggled to get their act together against the rest of the ISC, especially on their travels where they have shipped 30 goals in their 11 games.
It was no surprise to see Brazilian striker da Silva score yesterday. It was his seventh of the campaign and if ever the adage 'cometh the hour, cometh the man', were to ring true then it is with the homely East Java side. It was his pair that ended Sriwijaya's unbeaten start to the season while he also netted one in the win over Persib.
Indonesia Soccer Championship B Final 16
Persiraja v PSIM 1-2 7,660
Martapura v Persik 4-0
International Friendly
Singapore v Malaysia 0-0
# posted by Me @ 2:27 PM 
