Jakarta Casual

ISL Catch Up

2012-01-28T06:26:00.002+07:00

Handful of games played midweek in Indonesia. Persipura returned to the top of the table beating Persiram in an almost local derby while Sriwijaya dropped points at Persiwa where no team gets anything beyond fed up. Persiba, who also rarely drop points at home, won their second local derby on the spin, defeating Mitra Kukar 3-1 at their tiny Persiba Stadium.

Elsewhere Persib beat PSPS 2-1, Persidafon beat Deltras by the same score and Gresik United, who are also called Persegres (!) in some reports, drew 1-1 with Persisam.

Big game this weekend sees first against second. Persipura v Sriwijaya at the Mandala Stadium. Tomorrow has Persib hosting Persija at the Jalak Harupat; a truly firey affair!

No Stadiums In Jakarta

2012-01-27T18:58:00.003+07:00

This weekend Persija IPL will host Bontang in Solo. Next week Persija ISL will play two home games either in Solo or Sidoarjo. Neither club it seems can get a game in Jakarta.

Persija ISL are being forced away from their home town because the grass at the Bung Karno is being relaid, apparently, and the other options available, Lebak Bulus or Soemantri Brojonegoro are not real options; Lebak Bulus is supposed to being demolished some time soon while the other one is even smaller.

Capacity isn't a problem for Persija IPL. They have no support in Jakarta. If they have then no one has seen them. They have yet to play a home game there instead preferring the Manahan Stadium in Solo.

They could play in a car park and no one would bother watching them!

Jakarta Globe Column

2012-01-27T17:30:00.001+07:00

Indonesia Premier League latest

A look at some of the derbies played across the Indonesian leagues last weekend

Maroon Is The Colour

2012-01-26T20:18:00.003+07:00

I don't know how long Geylang United have worn green. Certainly for me I have always identified them as the team in green. Green befits them. So why change the colour to maroon for the new season? Apparently the club consulted with management and the Singapore FA before going ahead with the change.

They also, apparently, consulted with the fans. I guess in much the same way as Arsenal consulted with Arsenal fans before turning the cannon around.

So why the change? For luck? For commercial reasons? "Cos the club owner fancied it?

Who knows. Another mystery in the mysterious world of South East Asian football that will probably never be answered.

SLeague 2.0 Limping Along

2012-01-26T19:55:00.002+07:00

In a new bid to attract more interest it seems the SLeague have come up with a novel way of releasing the fixture list for the new season. Taking a leaf from the harry Potter movies they are announcing them bit by bit. The logic, such as it is, is that if it's good enough for JK Rawlings' teen magicians it's gotta be good enough for the SLeague. And anyway, who he hell believes in wizards anyway?

I asked Mabel if she thought the drip drip approach to a new season had been modelled on Harry Potter but she wasn't sure. Instead she thought it was a crock of shit. The slow release of fixtures, not the Potter movies. She has always had a crush on those little guys who work in the bank.

Anyways, enough of my waffle. Here are the opening round of fixtures. Coming soon will be the dates they will be played. And then the complete fixture list will be announced. If anyone is still awake. 'Cos the Frenchies pulled out at the last minute there is an odd number of teams and Geylang United will sit out the opening round of games.

Young Lions v Woodlands Wellington

Albirex Niigata v SAFFC

Home United v Balestier Khalsa

Gombak United v Harimau Muda

Tanjong Pagar United v Hougang United

DPMM v Tampines Rovers

Football Moves In Mysterious Ways

2012-01-24T17:08:00.002+07:00

Arsene Wenger continues to stick by Andrei Arsharvin despite being a serial under achiever in his three years at the club. Kedah management seem to be thinking that after four games their two Brazilian imports aren't up to the mark. One hasn't played yet but I guess that's just a minor detail.

The manager says the team 'play well so far' but they can't find the goal. Perhaps some kind of map is called for? They are looking for new defenders and strikers.

The coach's response is for the players to work harder and avoid making mistakes. Which takes us back, rather neatly, to Arsharvin.

Results 21/01

2012-01-22T05:02:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persiba v Persisam 3-2 (Kenji Adichihara, Aldo Baretto, Shohei Matsunanga; Jerry Karpeh 2) 4,032

Gresik United v Mitra Kukar 1-2 (Warwan Mustafa; Erminano, Hamka Hamzah) 22,800

Busy day for the clubs from East Kalimantan. In the derby hosts Persiba needed a late goal from Matsunanga while on the road Mitra Kukar climbed to third place after their win in East Java; a fine riposte from Simon McMenemy's men after management claimed to be 'evaluating' the coach's position following their 3-1 defeat away to PSPS. Three straight wins since then.

Indonesia Premier League

Persiba Bantul v Persija 1-0

Bontang v Persibo 2-0

Divisi Utama (LPIS)

Pro Duta v Persikabo 0-0

Persis v PSS 1-1

Persipasi v Persikab 1-0 (Asian Football Pictures)

Persepar v PPSM 4-0

Persemalra v Madian Putra 2-2

PSBI v Persbul 3-1

Malaysia Super League

Selangor v Sarawak 0-0

Negeri Sembilan v Felda United 1-0

KL v PKNS 1-1

Sabah v LionsX11 0-1

Terengganu v T Team 2-1

Johor FC v Perak 0-1

1 - Kelantan 4 3 1 0 8-3 10

2 - Terangganu 4 3 0 1 6-2 9

3 - Perak 4 3 0 1 4-2

In keeping with recent years it is clubs from the north east who are leading the charge in Malaysia with even T Team in 4th place despite losing the Terangganu derby yesterday. Selangor continue to struggle and find themselves in unfamiliar territory while LionsX11 moved up to 6th and are unbeaten in three games.

Results 20/01

2012-01-22T04:52:00.002+07:00

Malaysia Super League

Kedah v Kelantan 0-3 (M Ghadar, Norshahrul, Danny Antiwi)

Malaysia Premier League

Harimau Muda B v Johor 1-1

Sime Darby v ATM 2-1

PDRM v Malaysia Pos 2-2

NS Betaria v MP Muar 1-2

MBJB v PP USM 1-1

Perlis v Pahang 2-2

ATM suffered their first defeat of the season when they lost 2-1 away to Sime Darby in a game that was played on 21 January having originally been rained off. Perlis came from behind to score two goals in the last minute and injury time to save a point against leaders Pahang.

1 - Pahang 4 3 1 0 9-3 10

2 - ATM 4 3 0 1 11-2 9

3 - Sime Darby 4 3 0 1 7-5

Divisi Utama (LPIS)

PS Bengkulu v PS Padang 1-0

PSLS v Persikota 1-0

PSCS v PSIS 1-0

PSIR v Persik 2-2

Perseman v Gresik United 2-1

The Referee Is A Bar Stud

2012-01-21T19:02:00.002+07:00

People become match officials for many reasons. Illusions of grandeur; forget the fact their spouse abuses them by taking it out on players; uniform fetish; a love of thrusting out arms that came from watching Nurnberg rallies; chances of making more cash on the side; because they weren't good enough to play the game and still wanna be involved.

I saw one game recently and you have to wonder at this particular official's motivation. He was so biased to the home team it was embarrassing (these people usually don't have the word shame in their vocabulary). It wasn't just 50/50s. It was 60/40s and even 70/30s. If he was a traffic cop he wouldn't have given the visitors directions home.

Linesmen across the region are uniformally bad; it seems that knowledge of the offside rule isn't a prerequisite while the idea of advantage is as alien as giving way to pedestrians and turning off handphones in cinemas.

But refs. They have the final decision and in their hands literally are thousands of dollars of win bonuses, points and other stuff. Now we're not talking incompetence, the kind that gets TV pundits, players and coaches het up in Europe and other leagues. We are talking outright bias.

Where to complain? FAs are reliant on match assessors and the like and if they say nothing then nothing happened. A losing team whining about the ref is like Peter and the wolf. People stopped listening years ago. And the fans? come on, we don't even know the bloody rules. And so as everyone sticks their heads in their hands and pretend there is nothing wrong then nothing will be done about it.

The players are as much a part of the problem. After all if they are keen enough to accept outrageous decisions in their favour at home games how the hell can they get all uppity when the same happens when they are the away team?

This recent game, it was as fair and balanced as Fox news. Imagine a political debate between two polar opposites like, for example, Sarah Palin and Kim Jong Il (RIP). With Sean Hannity as the man in the middle.

It doesn't matter what foreign imports are brought into the game. Later tonight millions across South East Asia will stay up late to watch English football. Many will be wearing replica shirts. An affluent, expanding middle class, football daft. Exactly the demographic domestic football needs to be targetting if their game is to ever raise its profile.

But shoddy, incompetent refereeing performances like some I have witnessed in recent weeks will not have them rushing to support their local teams.

For some refs it is time they put their peas in their pockets and gave up. But they won't. 'Cos who knows what would be waiting to take their place!

Malaysians Settle On Yishun

2012-01-20T18:44:00.002+07:00

Harimau Muda have announced they will play their SLeague home games at Yishun Stadium. Personally I would have liked them to use Larkin Stadium across the Causeway in JB but its floodlights ain't too good. Is it close enough to Malaysia to tempt supporters to cross the border for a game? Hope so...

Hilary Turns Up In Muar!

2012-01-20T18:08:00.004+07:00

Any Deltras fans out there remember a Kenyan striker called Hilary Echesa? Had a short, very short, spell with the club a couple of years back and managed to impress no one. Admittedly a poor Deltras team that season, no fan who made the journey to Lebak Bulus to see them play Persitara (pictured) could have imagined they would now have the likes of Budi Sudarsono, Mijo Dadic and Sean Rooney in their team.

Anyway, pardon the digress. There I was with a few quiet moments at work mulling over the prospect of a long weekend in Malaysia when I somehow clicks on a page that comes up with MP Muar, a team in the Malaysia Premier League. And lo and behold they have Hilary!

Since playing for The Lobster he has played for The Lions and The Elephants. I kid you not...Wiki is your friend!

Thais Try To Curry English FA Favour

2012-01-20T05:49:00.003+07:00

The Thai FA have more front than Brighton beach. A couple of years ago they promised to support England's World Cup bid and in return England agreed to their request to play a friendly in Bangkok earlier this year.

The Thais reneged on their promise and England, perhaps not surprisingly, cancelled their proposed trip to Bangkok.

Now the Thai FA, or Football Association of Thailand, are hoping the chairman of the English Premier League can attend a Thai Premier League game, Chiang Rai United v Buriram PEA to witness the TPL trophy being handed over to champions Buriram PEA.

If the chairman had any balls he would send a message to Bangkok saying 'sorry, fishing that weekend and the missus needs her nails doing and she is taking the car and anyway after what you did to our World Cup bid and the dodgy land deals you are involved in it's best we don't further taint our reputation by giving you the pleasure of yet more photo ops, love, Dave (but you call me Sir David).

Khairul's Crocked. Again.

2012-01-19T19:51:00.003+07:00

Football is supposed to be a glamourous career. Scoring goals in front of adoring fans and all that crap. Not if you're name is Khairul Amri it ain't though.

The poor bastard spends most of his time injured. He's 27 in March, should be at the peak of his powers but guess what? He's gonna be out for the next 12 weeks with another injury.

Some cruel sod has been calling him the Abou Diaby of Singaporean football which is almost a tad harsh.

The guy is an immensely talented footballer. I recall a game for his country against Thailand in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The Thais won 3-1 at the National Stadium but Amri certainly asked some questions in the second half.

Now with the LionsX11 it looks like he won't be pulling on a shirt for a while; at least not in anger and despite the seemingly harsh words above I do have every sympathy for the lad.

Oh PEA Off!

2012-01-19T19:34:00.002+07:00

The idea of football clubs being little more than a license to be haggled over like a flapping fish at a riverside market before sun up is a difficult one for many to comprehend but it does seem an acceptable practice in this part of the world; as long as the right people are doing it of course.

Football clubs in England are licensed by the Football Licensing Authority but the idea that say Rotherham United could go out and buy an English Premier League license from Everton and take their place among thebig boys is a bit too much to take; though Everton fans would have a lot to say about being taken over by a team in red.

Nobody though in these parts seem to bat an eyelid. I guess when promotion/relegation issues are decided based upon guanxi, connections, then who can get excited about mere horse trading among other friends?

The current Indonesia Super League leaders, Sriwijaya, started life as Persijatim East Jakarta before switching to the city of Solo. The government of South Sumatra then bought the license and rebranded the club Sriwijaya to match local heritage and no one thought about any fans the club still had. In Jakarta or Solo!

Thailand is the hub though for this kind of nonsense. Bangkok Glass, for example, took over Krung Thai Bank while Pattaya United took their place from Bang Phra.

Trying to keep tracks of these maneuvers requires a form of mental gymnastics that would appeal to lawyers, serial loop hole finders and other pedants but leave the vast majority of us feeling cold and somewhat ignorant. What about the football we whine pathetically.

A team called PEA won the Thai Premier League back in 2008. Two years later a provincial godfather decided he wished to get involved in Thai football, which was invented in 2009, and having been banned from politics had the time, and cash, to make his wish come true.

He brought PEA to Buriram, re named them Buriram PEA and set about investing heavily in players and facilities, much as Sriwijaya had done. This gentleman is not accustomed to coming second, a careful political career saw him usually on the winning side no matter who won, so of course the team won the league in 2011.

Was it PEA’s second title in four years? For any traditionalists yes but this guy writes rules. He doesn’t worry about how a Thai Rothmans Football Yearbook would record the triumph. As far as he, and the legions of ‘new’ fans are concerned it was ‘their’ first title. There was nothing before 2010 when PEA headed north east.

Buriram’s other team, called Buriram, are in the hands of the same family and they won Division One at a canter meaning Buriram could well have a clean sweep on domestic trophies if PEA, sorry, Buriram PEA win the League Cup to join the TPL and the FA Cup in their newly constructed trophy cabinet.

So we have two teams from this provincial north eastern town? Well, no. the PEA part of the champions has been sold on, and what’s left has merged with the newly promoted team to form Buriram United. What was left? God knows and even he would have difficulties understanding the legalese and small print. PEA arrived, won the league, moved on yet left something behind?! What are they, a bloody cuckoo?

PEA, apparently, were sold off to the southern city of Songkhla who despite finishing fifth in Division One will go up a division. Who needs promotion and relegation, they’re just quaint old traditions and not necessary in the modern age when you can buy and sell among your friends as the mood suits. And Songhkla’s place will go to another team that gets to forsake the old way of doing things.

Is it a coincidence that one of the largest attendances in Thai football last season, which ain’t finished yet but that’s another soap opera featuring the same cast, was between Songkhla and Buriram played down south. Over 35,000 fans turned up out of a population of 154,000…Blackburn Rovers would cut their hands off for those kind of crowds!

Arsenal controversially stayed in Division One after the First World War thanks to the sterling efforts of Sir Henry Norris but even he must be looking down at the Thai way of doing things and nodding appreciatively, knowing he is watching masters at work.

Buriram United now claim Buriram PEA’s place in the AFC Champions League even though they have yet to play a game while PEA, now in Songkla? Didn’t they win the TPL? Shouldn’t they be in the ACL? Is this saga available on DVD yet?

In most countries, admittedly outside of south east Asia, they have Football Associations who rule on this kind of stuff. Thailand? I’ve said many times Thai football has failed to build on the boom it experienced in 2009, just like they failed to build on the Dream Team of 1994, and instead have just sold the game for cheap votes and increased exposure. The FA sits on the sidelines rubberstamping agreements made beforehand knowing that the phu yai they have access to are trumped by the phu yai arrayed against them.

It’s just business as usual of course. Football in these parts isn’t run for the prestige of the game or nation with the possible, occasional, exception of Malaysia. In these parts football is run for the glory and egos of individuals. The tawdry events in Thailand have nothing to do with the game many of us love so much but wrapped in the semblance of legality and hidden in the cloak of opacity there is little anyway in authority can do. And even if they wanted to do something, chances are they wouldn’t. Not for the first time the projection of power trumps logic and common sense.

Until this antiquated, feudalistic way of doing things is cast aside it is unlikely we will ever see a South East Asian nation make an impact on the Asian Cup, the World Cup or the Olympics. All the fine talk about passion and potential will continue to be the fine talk of dreamers and theorists.

Thai Striker Banned From National Team

2012-01-19T06:07:00.003+07:00

Thailand are currently hosting the King's Cup, I'm not covering it, featuring teams from Scandinavia and South Korea and not doing particularly well it must be said. Anyway striker Sompong Soleb decided to go out for a few beers, breaking curfew, drove home, smashed up his motor and in fine Thai tradition, fled the scene.

He was later caught and sentenced to one month in the slammer, suspended for two years, fined some loose change and faced the wrath of German national team coach Winnie Schaefer who has banned him from the national team.

Is that in his remit though? Sompong plays for Buriram who were Division One champions in 2011 and will merge with Buriram PEA though it remains to be seen whether or not Sompong will be asked to stay on at the club.

Everyone knows though that Thai football is run by a certain influential individiual whose two teams have won three trophies so far and are on target to complete a whitewash when Buriram PEA play Thai Port in the League Cup Final.

These gentleman doesn't take disappointments lightly. Will he 'allow' Sompong to be banned for so long or will he consider that as a Buriram player, 'overseen' by his missus, he shouldn't get involved.

This case could be an interested test case in to how Thai football is run and for whose benefit.

Thailand Announce Friendlies

2012-01-19T06:02:00.002+07:00

11 or 12/2 v Myanmar (A)

24/02 v Uzbekistan (H)

TPL All Stars (Yuck) v Sunderland (H)

New TPL begins March 17 with a charity shield type thing on March 11 between Buriram PEA now to be called Buriram United playing Chonburi for the King's trophy

Results 18/01

2012-01-19T05:31:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

PSAP v Persiwa 0-0 5,000

PSMS v Persipura 0-0 21,332

Persidafon v Persela 4-5 (Patrick Wanggai 3, Samuel Rumkabu; Gerry Setia, Dedi Sampurna, Mario Costa 3) 483

Deltras v Arema 3-3 (Qischil, Mijo Dadic, Shin Hyun Joon; Marcio Souza 3) 11,350

Unstoppable ATM

2012-01-18T02:18:00.002+07:00

Another daft name for a football club but then I'm English and what do I know? ATM, Angkata Tentara Malaysia, are the initials of Malaysia's armed forces and ATM, not a machine that dispenses cash, is their football club.

They went into the season flush with cash signing big names including striker Marlon Alex James who was so inspirational with Kedah when they won back to back trebles a few years back. He has continued his prolific form from those days by hitting six in the first two games though surprisingly not finiding the net against Harimau Muda B in their last game.

Coached by former national team coach Sathianathan they also boast familiar names like Zaquan Adha, Hairuddin Omar and Zaquan Radzak.

1 - ATM 3 3 0 0 10-0 9

2 - Pahang 3 3 0 0 7-1

Results 17/01

2012-01-18T02:04:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persiram v Gresik United 1-1 (JP Boumsong; Gaston Castano) 75 (Played 16/1 at Lebak Bulus, Jakarta)

Persisam v Persib 2-1 (Yongki, Jerry; M Ilham) 13,743

Mitra Kukar v Pelita Jaya 1-0 (Hamka Hamzah) 7,000

Divisi Utama

Persiku v Persitema 3-0 (Agus Santiko 2, Peter Kuoh) 6,764

Malaysia Super League

Felda United v Selangor 1-0

LionsX11 v KL 2-1 (OG, Shahdan Sulaiman; Fazuan Abdullah)

Sarawak v Terengganu 0-1

Perak v Negeri Sembilan 2-1

PKNS v Kedah 0-0

Kelantan v Johor FC 2-1

T Team v Sabah 0-0

1 - T Team 3 2 1 0 6-0 7

2 - Kelantan 3 2 1 0 5-3 7

Guest Column - Frank Lakwijk

2012-01-17T17:16:00.003+07:00

FOOTBALL ACADEMIES: LOGGING IN THE FOOTBALL FOREST

Recently the PSSI has adopted a Youth Development Program. Timo Scheunemann, Indonesia’s undisputed authority of youth development is appointed Director of this Program. It is a system of regional scouting of young promising players and bringing them into an intensive program of further development of their skills. It is expected that in a few years those academies will start to supply better than average players who will improve the Indonesian National Team selections.

Perhaps this will be the case but is it the solution for development of football quality in Indonesia? Will the quality of football in the stadiums across the country improve? According to the PSSI Plan the Football Academies are considered to be the solution for the quality standard in the country. Everybody points at the extreme high level of players that are delivered from academies of Arsenal and Ajax. Indeed, the academies of these clubs produce world class players but the question is: why?

In Europe football is organized in clubs. In the Netherlands there are almost 4000 clubs where young footballers can join to learn and play football. Every neighbourhood in the cities and every village in the country has its own club. Children join those clubs when they enter the age of primary school: 6 years, sometimes even younger. At least once per week they have a training session and every Saturday they play a match in locally or regionally organized competitions. They develop technical skills but also tactical and mental qualities from the tender age of 6.

Decisive factor in their development is the voluntary trainer who teaches them the first steps on their way to become a footballer. He has a trainer’s diploma or has played competitive football himself. In the Netherlands the first diploma is JVT (Youth Football Trainer), followed by TC (Trainer/Coach) 3, 2 and 1. The first diploma is sponsored by the club and the Football Association and is free for everybody who is willing to train young players between 6 and 10 years old. Each child has the opportunity to develop his or her skills under qualified guidance.

Professional football clubs have academies who scout the best talents from their region. They have an extensive network of tipsters and scouts. In many cases the small clubs tip their neighbouring professional club that they have an extraordinary talent who should be seen by the scouts. As a result of those qualified trainers at the lowest levels the academies can select players who are already prepared to a high level in their home clubs.

Of course, not all of the talents invited to the academies will reach the highest level. Most don’t reach the first team and will go back to their former local amateur club, adding quality to their squad. Some don’t reach the level of the national team but make a more than decent living from a professional club and add to the overall quality of the competition, pushing the top-end talents even further.

Take for example Irfan Bachdim. He played in the youth department of an amateur side together with the other kids from his neighbourhood. He appeared to be better than average and the scouts of Ajax offered him a place in their famous academy. But alas, after 3 seasons he was not good enough to reach to the top and our teenager went back to the amateurs. There he was one of the best again and the scouts of FC Utrecht asked him to play for them. Again he could not break through to the first team. He moved to second tier club Haarlem. This club went bankrupt and Irfan was without a club. Then he tried his luck in Indonesia and was offered an opportunity to play for Persema. The rest is history.

Why was Irfan in Holland rejected two times at Eredivisie level and is a star and topscorer in Indonesia? Because he has been groomed from a very young age in a much higher level football environment. He has learned what is important at training and in the match; he understands the system that the coaches want him to play in. He has developed technical skills that are important in the match. He developed tactical insight and mental skills. He knows that not circus acts count, but effectivity.

Persema Malang had this year 77 new applications to choose from. All of them could juggle the ball brilliantly. With difficulty the trainers could find 4 possible talents, the rest was absolutely useless. They lacked even the most basic elements.

Logging the best from the forest is not a solution to lift Indonesia from the bottom of the world rankings. Quality has to improve from the roots up. That means that every child with healthy limbs should be offered development of his potential. Only then scouting for the real gems will bare fruit. The best of nothing is still not much. Only those who stand out from high quality are talents worth scouting for.

In my opinion the budget for Youth Development should be spent on develoment of the grassroots. Give every child the opportunity to learn the basic skills of football and then the best of them will be worthy of an academy. As long as there is no structure of youth development on local and village level, the best are still far from good. The PSSI would do better to start educating he educators: the well meaning people who take care of training of children of under ten years old. Only when scouts can select from many proven talents, an academy can be usefull.

Another Singaporean Farce?

2012-01-17T08:53:00.000+07:00

It doesn’t matter how honourable intentions may be at the Football Association of Singapore they always seem to put their foot in their mouth big time. The latest faux pas comes with the news that their newly appointed SLeague deputy CEO, and former Etoile chairman, is a declared bankrupt back in his home country of France and banned from running a business there for five years.

So what does he do? Up sticks to Singapore, sets up a football team, gives them big plans then jumps ship half way through their second season in the SLeague with allegations of unpaid salaries and large debts being left behind.

Now this.

His appointment was controversial in the first place and has led to Etoile pulling out of the competition; another poorly handled move from both sides.

Let’s look at perception. Businessman racks up debts he can’t pay off at home and does one to the tropics. He sets up a football club, promises all sorts of things that aren’t delivered, then quits. Next, he pops up at the SLeague tasked with turning a moribund game around.

With his track record that was always going to be a tough sell; perhaps one reason why people kept so quiet ahead of the appointment. Now financial impropriety is thrown into the mix.

I live in Indonesia where no most private companies refuse to get involved in the local game because they are unsure where their money will go. Actually, they know full well where the money will go, hence their reluctance to part with it.

With the SLeague due to begin in a couple of weeks time this is another headline the game could well do without.

Thai Coach Blames Lack Of Fitness

2012-01-17T05:43:00.002+07:00

Thailand lost to a South Korea team yesterday in the King's Cup. I have no idea which South Korea, it certainly weren't the first team and they didn't even include the Arsenal striker Park, but anyone the Thais played them and got beat 3-1.

Coach Winnie Schaefer after the game said the Thai team weren't very fit.

Hmm. Let's see. A season that began last February. Intermininable FA and League Cup schedules. A frequently rearranged TPL schedule. A SEA Games disaster. Prehistoric training methods at some clubs.

God knows when the Thai season will end. And he will only now if the FA and or TPL deign to tell him in advance. The League Cup Final is scheduled for February. The end of that month sees a final WCQ with the Thais having an outside chance of going through to the next round.

And then the next season begins when? Early March?

Lack of preparation has hampered the Thai national team at every major international event for several years now and it doesn't look like ending any time soon.

If Thailand had a powerful animal protection lobby they would be protesting at the conditions players there operate under.

The King's Cup, a football tradition dating back decades, has surely run its course, at least in its current format. There are already too many demands on the players with the normal TPL/AFF/AFC/FIFA schedule without adding to it by playing kids from Scandinavia and South Korea.

Time to put it out of its misery.

Sarayoot Joins The Army

2012-01-16T04:50:00.004+07:00

Thai international striker Sarayoot Chaikamdee is reportedly joining Army United. The former Thai Port player spent last season with Bangkok Glass where he scored 15 goals during the 2011 TPL.

Where that leaves Army striker Leandro is unclear. The Brazilian hit 18 goals last season for the team nicknamed The Gentlemen!

Results 15/01

2012-01-16T04:30:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Sriwijaya v Persiba 5-1 (Hilton Moreira, Keith Kayamba, Firman Utina, Siswanto, Ahmad Jufriyanto; Aldo Baretto) 21,875

PSPS v Persija (Febriano, Bambang Pamungkas) 15,763

PSMS v Persiwa 1-1 (Sasa Zecevic; Habel Satya) 10,553

PSAP v Persipura 0-1 (Boas Solossa) 8,650

1 - Sriwijaya 8 6 1 1 21-7 19

2 - Persipura 7 5 1 1 15-10 16

3 - Persiwa 7 4 1 2 13-12 13

8 - Keith Kayamba, Hilton Moreira (Sriwijaya)

6 - Herman Dzumafo (PSPS)

5 - Safee Sali (Pelita Jaya), Alberto Goncalves (Persipura)

Divisi Utama (LI)

Persita v Persitara 1-0 (Hendra Bastion) 8,567

Persih v PS Bengkulu 3-0 (Febi Martika Chandra 2, M Husen) 3,851

Persekam v PSMP 2-1 (Rohman 2; Nur Rosid) 300

PSBK Blitar v PS Sumbawa Barat 1-1 (Alfred Ballah; Saddam Husain) 8,000

Indonesia Premier League

Persema v Bontang 2-0 (Irfan Bachdim, Emile Mbamba)

PSM v Semen Padang 1-1

1 - Semen Padang 6 3 3 0 10-3 12

2 - Persibo 5 3 1 1 10-4 10

3 - Persija 5 2 3 0 12-9 9

India Next Stop For Fowler?

2012-01-15T07:39:00.005+07:00

Muang Thong United player coach Robbie Fowler is being linked with a move to India. This story is very low on detail but big on headlines and also gives me a chance to use one of the pictures I took when I saw Fowler in action recently.

Despite a poor end to the season the club had said they would keep Fowler on but that still remains to be seen.

UPDATE - this story suggests it's a done deal but that remains to be seen. Interesting choice of locations for the franchises with a weighting towards Kolkota and Bengal.

A Racist Ticket Policy?

2012-01-15T07:08:00.002+07:00

Despite a poor start to the season, a defeat and a draw, LionsX11 are still attracting plenty of interest among those who recall the 'good old days' of Malaysia Cup. Over 7,000 filled a newly expanded Jalan Besar Stadium for the opening game with Kelantan while this report suggests ticket sales are going well ahead of the next game against KL.

One though gets my goat. Advance ticket sales are only available to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. Which means that any casual fan wishing to go to the game, and indeed all home games, will have to hope that there will be ticket sales on the day. And if the poor start continues then it may not be an issue anyway.

Is this policy racism or a sensible security precaution? For example you would never see Liverpool or Manchester United, the two biggest teams in Singapore, limiting ticket sales to UK nationals; there would be an outcry from anti racist groups, and probably Singaporeans as well planning to take in a game.

Even with a new stand, Jalan Besar is a small stadium and there does need to be effective segregation. Singaporeans do have a nationalist element that has an ugly side; ask any Vietnamese who took a slap at the old National Stadium during the AFF Cup semi final back in 2008.

But surely there is a better way of handling advance ticket sales than just banning them to foreigners?

I get plenty of emails, well some, ok, one or two, from people asking for details of how to take in a game in this part of the world. Many folks on round the world trips get through Singapore on their journeys. My first game there was while waiting for a bus to Mersing in Malaysia in 1991. One guy responsible for merchandising sales at one SLeague club says that several replica shirts have been bought by tourists.

I guess the problems just highlights the shoddy way the whole National Stadium has been handled. It was due for demolition, it was postponed, it was delayed and now it's gone but there is still a lengthy wait before Singapore boasts a stadium with a capacity of over 7,000. Apart from anything else they missed out on Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea last year and this year could, if rumours are true, miss Manchester United and Barcelona.

I guess it just comes down to the simple fact that the government don't really give two hoots about sport and hosting the netball world cup is the limit of their ambitions.

Results 14/01

2012-01-15T06:22:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Deltras v Persela 1-0 (Walter Brezuela)

Mitra Kukar v Persib 3-0 (Nemenja Obric, Marcus Bent, Lee Sang Min)

Indonesia Premier League

Persibo v Persiba Bantul 3-2 (Samsul Arif, Islander 2; Emmanuel Cristori, Anwarudin)

Persiraja v Arema 1-1 (Diallo; Roman Chmelo)

Divisi Utama (LPIS)

Persikabo v Persitara 1-0

PSIS v PSIR 3-0 (Han Ji Ho, Engkus Kuswaha, Khusnul Yakin)

PSCS v Persipasi 2-1 (Julia Mardianus, Indra Gunawan; Mansur) 7,000

Persikab v Persipar 2-2

PPSM v Persis 2-3 (Tinton Suharto 2; Javier Rocha, Ariyuganda, Ferryanto)

Perseman v Madian Putra 1-0

Persires Bali DeVata v Persewangi 1-0

Bit of a local derby when Persires BaliVata, mouthful or what, played Persewangi from just across the straits separating Bali from Java.

Malaysia Super League

Selangor v Perak 1-0 (Safiq Rahim)

Kedah v Daftly Named LionsX11 0-0

KL v T Team 0-3

Sabah v Sarawak 2-1

Terengganu v Felda United 3-0

Johor FC v Negeri Sembilan 0-2

To be fair it's unfair to keep labelling LionsX11 Daftly Named when you have a team called Terengganu PBDKT T Team without comment.

Results 13/01

2012-01-14T05:54:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persisam v Pelita Jaya 1-4 (Eka Ramdani; Bajevski, Safee Sali, Greg Nwokolo 2)

Persidafon v Arema 2-1 (Patrick Wanggai, Marcello Cirelly; Marcio Souza)

Safee Sali's fifth goal of the season took Pelita Jaya up to 6th place, leapfrogging Persisam who suffered their first home defeat of the season. The visitors were 3-0 up inside half an hour. Persidafon picked up their first win of the season against a woeful Arema who remain winless.

Divisi Utama (LI)

Persis v Persitema 2-1

Divisi Utama (LPIS)

PSBL v Pro Duta 0-1

Persikota v PS Bengkulu 3-0

PSSB v PSLS 0-1

Persik v PSS 2-2

Persepro v Persbul 2-0

Persemalra v Gresik United 1-1

Malaysia Super League

Kelantan v PKNS Selangor 1-1 (Badhri Radzi; Fauzan Dzulkifli)

Malaysia Premier League

Harimau Muda B v Pahang 0-4

Pos Malaysia v MP Muar 4-0

PDRM v Penang USM 2-0

NS Betaria v Johor 1-1

MBJB v ATM 0-5

Perlis v Sime Darby 1-2

Indonesia Premier League Standings

2012-01-13T17:09:00.002+07:00

Nope, not ignoring it. Just not had the time recently to add tables etc. Persema are bottom of the 12 team league with just one point but yet to play a home game.

Tomorrow sees Persibo host Persiba Bantul, Persema v Bontang and Persiraja v Arema while on Sunday Persija host Persebaya...somewhere other than Jakarta! Leaders Semen Padang travel to PSM.

1 - Semen Padang 5 3 2 0 9-2 13

2 - Persija IPL 5 2 3 0 12-9 9

3 - Persibo 4 2 1 1 7-2 7

4 - Arema 4 2 1 1 7-4 7

3 - Edward Wilson Junior, Ferdinand Sinaga (Semen Padang), Samsul Arif, M Nur Iskandar (Persibo), Abdul Musawir (Persiraja), Emmanuel De Porres (Persija IPL)

Etoile Keep 'Em Guessing

2012-01-13T15:57:00.005+07:00

Etoile have never been everyone's favorite cup of tea. A bunch of French journeymen pros parachuted into the tropics in the hope of kick starting their stagnant careers?

Since they arrived in 2010 the club have been involved in controversy after controversy, much of it of their own making. David Ginola for example or the mysterious case of the clubhouse that never was or their role in a brawl with Hougang United or even their Indonesian-esque late salary payments.

To be fair they have played some good football and of course they were the first foreign team to win the SLeague when they lifted the crown in their debut season and their leading scorer that season, Frederic Mendy, went on to play a lead role in Home United's assault on the title last season.

Now they are in the headlines again for the wrong reasons. This situation stems back to the middle of last year when the chairman quit and new backers got on board. As is often the case in changeovers at the top it was less than smooth and the recriminations seem to be echoing over to the new year now that the former chairman is now deputy CEO of the SLeague and charge with reinvigorating a product many feel has gone stale.

When Etoile arrived on the scene they spouted off about how they wanted to help develop Singapore football (the white man's burden?!), they were in it for the long term, words designed to win over a sceptical football fraternity accustomed to seeing foreign teams arrive, make lots of noise and disappear with nary a toodlepip. Or au revoir.

But now, on the eve of the 2012 season, they are throwing a hissey fit because their former chairman has a new job. Football in Singapore has been forgotten about while they pout and sulk, threatening to quit the league just weeks before it is due to begin.

In a rare moment of steely resolve the President of the FA has come out and said that the tail should not be wagging the dog and it is up to the FA to make a decision, not a team. He's quite right of course, yeah I know I can't believe I said that either.

The fixture list has yet to be drawn up because les drama queens are hogging the limelight so clubs have no idea yet of when their season will begin and against whom.

This sulking from a professional football club shows a distinct lack of respect to Singapore football and the FA needs to make a firm decision; not let themselves be dicked around like this.

Etoile's throwing the toys out of the pram like this, so close to the start of the season, shows how empty their words of two years ago really were. Develop Singapore football? Long term? What a load of bullshit. Fine words designed to mollify the hosts yet when some ego gets damaged they take umbrage and flout and bitch like some air headed model or celebrity.

Their delaying tactics, and the FA's less than robust response, leaves football in a pickle. With the SLeague being expanded to 14 clubs playing each other twice a season we now could be, should be, left with 13 clubs. Just one more than previously. Unless the FA have a club waiting in the wings to fill the void.

The AFC and FIFA are none too happy with odd numbers in domestic leagues but obviously Etoile don't give a shit about that. And they obviously don't care too much either if they cause problems for the SLeague and the other clubs either.

COMMENT - this post relates to the flapping around by Etoile and their 'look at me stance' in relation to their 'talk' when they first joined the league. There are serious questions to be asked about the appointment of their former chairman as Deputy CEO of the SLeague, and perhaps another post, but that does not excuse their actions.

Called Off At Last Minute

2012-01-12T16:29:00.003+07:00

Football in South East Asia is full of new experiences. Take today for example. I bowledup at Lebak Bulus hoping to catch Persiram and Persiba in ISL action.Things seemed quiet when I arrived. Quiet as in no fans, no vendors and no ticket sales. Odd.

I got talking to a Persiram oficial and he said yep, no problems, kick off usual time. So I finally found an open gate and took my seat and waited.And waited. And the waited some more. 20 minutes after the first half hadn't started came the announcement tthegame had een postponed 'cos there were no security oficials available. Big trouble elesewhere in town.

Thai Team Interested In Malaysian Striker

2012-01-12T11:42:00.002+07:00

Muang Thong United are reportedly interested in Pelita Jaya's Malaysian striker Safee Sali. The Thai team have promised to rebuild their team after a trophyless season and it is no secret the Malaysian FA would like Sali to play in a recognised league so he can be called up by the national team. Pelita Jaya play in a league not recognised by the Indonesian FA.

Results 10/01

2012-01-12T05:29:00.002+07:00

Divisi Utama (LI)

Persiku v Persip 1-1 (Arip Rokim; Rozikin) 6,971

Thai FA Cup Final

Muang Thong United v Buriram PEA 0-1 (after extra time)

Results 10/01

2012-01-11T05:44:00.002+07:00

Divisi Utama (LI)

Persita v PS Bengkulu 1-1 (Ade Jantra Lukmana; Rival Jandara) 8,235

Malaysia Super League

Negeri Sembilan v Selangor 2-2 (Effa Owona 2; Zainal, Safiq Rahim)

Perak v Terengganu 1-0 (Michael Kubala)

Felda United v Sabah 2-0 (Raimi, Yong Kuong Yong)

Sarawak v KL 2-0 (Krishnan, Mokhtar)

T Team v Kedah 3-0 (Faiz Subri 2, Zailani)

Daftly Named LionsX11 v Kelantan 1-2 (Baihakki; Norshahrul, M Ghadar)

PKNS v Johor FC 1-2 (Fauzan; Riduwon Maon, Azi Shahril)

Singapore Football Reinvented Today

2012-01-10T06:14:00.003+07:00

Today's the day football gets rediscovered in Singapore with the Daftly Named LionsX11 hosting Kelantan at the Jalan Besar Stadium and all 7,500 tickets sold out.

One round of SLeague games, six games, would never have accumulated that many fans yet they come crawling out the woodwork for this game.

Surprising what a bit of marketing can do and makes you wonder why nothing gets done for the actual SLeague although to be fair when it comes to a bit of nationalist flag waving they do seem happy to reach for their flags. Before they lose and stop going!

The danger now is that with the media now discovering local football they will focus all their attention on the daftly named LionsX11 to the detriment of the domestic league and that would not be a helpful move.

It's gonna be down to the blogs and forums to make sure the SLeague isn't overlooked by people once the daftly named LionsX11 kick off their Malaysia Super League campaign tonight against Kelantan but when you get a team pissed off 'cos their ex chairman has got a new job and now they're threatening to throw their toys out the pram then you can understand while people don't give a crap.

Such childishness doesn't even belong in the playground because to accuse children of such nonsense would be to insult them. Indeed, now when parents and teachers see their children acting in a spoilt manner they will say 'ha...look at little Johnny, behaving like a French football club.'

For now the hype around the daftly named LionsX11 has revolved around Fandi Ahmad and 1994 as football writers rush to show off their knowledge of football on the island and bore us to tears with their inane drivel. One paper even has useful advise of how to get to Jalan Besar 'cos most people have no idea what or where it is.

The SLeague has had some exciting seasons in recent years. It is time the new people at the top start to promote the bloody thing seriously or the professional game may whither and die and we'll be left with the daftly named LionsX11 and loads of replica Liverpool and Manchester United shirts on the MRT and we really don't want that, do we?

Les Drama Queens

2012-01-10T05:06:00.002+07:00

2010 SLeague Champions Etoile are sulking. They are apparently peeved 'cos their former chairman has been appointed deputy CEO of the SLeague and are considering pulling out of Singapore's top flight.

If they go it is no loss, if they stay it is no gain.

Dazza's At Balestier

2012-01-09T20:31:00.002+07:00

It's probably the worst kept secret in Singapore football beyond the would DPMM rejoin in 2012 but Darren Stewart has moved to take charge of Balestier Khalsa after several years with Gombak United.

Stewart had built an exciting team at the Bulls a couple of years back and looked set to break the Uniforms monopoly on the SLeague when it was decided by the powers that be that Gabrial Obatala and Kingsley Njoku could no longer stay in the country therefore depriving the team of their first choice strikers with the seasons just 180 minutes old.

Joining Stewart at Toa Payoh will be some familiar faces including, I understand, Goran Subara, the Aussie utility man who had an unlucky time in Indonesia with PSM last year.

Also in is Patrick Pahan, a striker from Tanjong Pagar United.

Results 09/01

2012-01-09T18:26:00.005+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persib v PSMS 3-1 (Aliyudin, Herman Abanda, Moses; Osas Marvelous) 15,450

Persipura v Deltras 2-1 (Zah Rahan, Lukas Mandowen; Juan Revi) 15,273

Pelita Jaya v PSAP 5-2 (Greg Nwokolo 2, Safee Sali 2, Alex Bajevski; Camera Sekou, Lee Soung Yong) 2,752

Persiwa v Persidafon 3-0 (Eric Weeks Lewis, Eddy Foday Boakay, Jaelaniu Arey) 12,732

Malaysia Premier League

Sime Darby v Harimau Muda B 2-1

Pahang v Johor MPJB

ATM v NS Betaria

Johor v PDRM

Penang USM v Malaysia Pos

MP Muar v Perlis 7-2

The Dreaded Evaluasi

2012-01-09T18:13:00.003+07:00

Simon McMenemy has only been with Mitra Kukar for five games but already the club are mumbling about 'evaluating' his performance...Indonesian football speak for the dreaded of vote of confidence.

Very often it's little more than the club owners speaking out in public, trying to head off any fan demonstration about poor performances on the field. Arema were caught out recently with fans voicing their disquiet following a disappointing 2-2 home draw against bottom table Persiram. Coach Wolfgang Pikal was gone the next day.

As of now newly promoted Mitra Kukar sit n the 18 team Indonesia Super League with two wins and two defeats. If my maths are any good that leaves one draw.

Mitra Kukar have gathered together an expensive squad featuring a lot of current internationals like Arif Suryono and hamkah Hamza as well as English import Marcus Bent.

A v PSMS 1-1

A v PSAP 3-2

H v Persiwa 6-1

H v Persipura 1-2

A v PSPS 1-3

Results 07-08/01

2012-01-09T05:21:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

PSPS v Mitra Kukar 3-1 (Herman Dzumafo 2, Patrice Nguenheu; Jajang Maulyana) 9,475

Persela v Persiram 5-1 (Roman Golian 2, Gery Setia, Jimmy Suparno, Mario Costas; Okta) 10,000

Arema v Sriwijaya 1-5 (Arif Ariyanto; Hilton Moreira 3, Keith Kayamba 2) 2,818

Divisi Utama (LI)

Perseru v Persepam 1-0 (Camera) 600

PSBS v Barito Putra 1-3 (Dwaramury; Sackie Dou 2, Nnengue) 1,723

Persid v PSBK 3-1 (Titus Johnson, Jaya Hartono, Ibnu Suhandak; Gatot Ismawan) 3,500

Sumbawa Barat v Persiss 2-0 (Saddam Husain 2) 8,000

PSMP v Persigo 2-0 (Abdul Rohkim, Catur Mardiyanto)

Persitara v Persiku 2-2 (Patricio Jiminez 2; Indra Lesmana, Joko Purnomo) 2,267

Bengkulu v Persis 0-0 3,000

Persebaya v Persih 2-0 (Richard Obiora, Muhammed Obora) 3,040

Persitema v PSGL 1-0 (Iwan Pratam) 5,167

Indonesia Premier League

Persija v Arema 3-3

PSMS v Persiraja 1-0

Persebaya v PSM 2-0

Bontang v Semen Padang 0-2

Persibo v Persijap 5-0

Divisi Utama (LPIS)

Pro Duta v PSSB 0-1

Bengkulu v Persikabo 0-0

PSBL v PSLS 2-0

Persikota v Persitara 1-1

PSS v PSIS 0-0

Persis v Persik 2-1

PPSM v Persikab 2-2

Persepar v PSCS 2-1

Persipasi v PSIR 2-0

Persiwangi v Perseman 1-1

Gresik United v Persipro 0-1

Persires Bali v Persemalra 1-0

Madiun Putra v PSBI 4-2

Thai FA Cup Semi Final

Muang Thong United v Songkla 4-3 (after pens)

Buriram PEA v Army United 2-0

Muang Thong meet Buriram PEA in the final next Wednesday with PEA on course for a domestic treble)

Thai Premier League

Bangkok Glass v Si Sa Ket 2-0

Khon Kaen v Thai Port 1-1

Osotspa v TTM Phichit 3-0

TOT v Police United 1-1

Thai Division One

PTT Rayong v Samut Prakan Customs 2-1

Phuket v Bangkok 1-4

Raj Pracha v Bangkok United 2-4

Air Force United v Saraburi 3-3

Malaysia Charity Shield

Kelantan v Negeri Sembilan 1-2 (Norshahrul Idlan Talaha; Effa Owana 2)

Malaysia Fretting About Safee

2012-01-06T06:06:00.003+07:00

The Malaysian Football Association are worrying about the on going crisis in Indonesian football. Specifically they are concerned that they may not be able to call up their striker Safee Sali who plays for Pelita Jaya in the ISL.

FIFA only recognises the Indonesia Premier League and they have said that players who play in any non recognised leagues will not be eligible for national team call up.

The Malaysian FA have said that if a Malaysian club were interested in signing former Selangor striker Sali then they would allow a deal to go ahead despite the transfer window having closed.

Pelita Jaya last week lost their combatitive full back Diego Michiels after he decided to put country before club and walked out on the club, signing for Persija in the IPL.

Results 05/01

2012-01-06T05:56:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persib v PSAP 1-1 (Maman Abdurahman; You Wook Jin) 20,187

Pelita Jaya v PSMS 2-2 (Safee Sali, Alex Bajevski; Zulkarnain, Arie Supriyatna) 3,530

Persiwa v Deltras 2-1 (Eddy Foday Boakay 2; Qischil Minny) 12,537

Persipura v Persidafon 3-1 (Ricardo Salempessy, Boas Solossa, Alberto Goncalves; Patrick Wanggai) 18,352

Disappointing afternoon for the West Java sides with both Persib and Pelita Jaya taking the lead and losing it at home. Better for the Papuan teams but then they rarely drop points at home, especially Persiwa. Persipura's win puts them on top of the ISL, level on points with Sriwijaya.

Thai FA Cup Quarter Final

Army United v Chainat 6-5 (after pens)

More Singaporean Gobbledygook

2012-01-06T05:45:00.002+07:00

Singaporeans love business school speak, even when it makes no sense at all. That's not the point. It makes them sound all grown up and modern. Take this piece of drivel...

"There is a high intangible value to this deal and StarHub has taken a holistic approach that is not just about cash,"

How the hell could you paraphrase that? All they have left out is the word leverage as a verb and it would be classic management consultant bullshit.

The complete story can be found here but you may want to put it through a translate software first.

Language is about communication and understanding. It ain't about showing off your knowledge of 'trendy buzzwords' that wax and wane like the moon.

Arema Respond To Poor Start

2012-01-05T19:03:00.003+07:00

It hasn't been the best of starts for Arema in the Indonesia Super League. Yesterday's 2-2 with bottom club Persiram was their first point from their opening four games and apparently after the game the Arema fans vented their displeasure at the team.

The club have responded by sacking coach Wolfgang Pikal.

I mentioned at the start of the season the Arema squad was hardly one to set the fans' pulses racing and obviously the 5,000 crowd at yesterday's game was an indication the Aremania weren't impressed. Indeed the IPL version of Arema have been pulling bigger crowds!

Presiram finished the last 10 minutes of yesterday's game with 10 men following JP Boumsong's red card but it was the visitors who looked like securing their first three points of the season when Nasution Karubaba scored with four minutes left.

It took full back Patrick Pierre Seme to save a point for the home team with two minutes left but it didn't lift the mood of the Arema fans who responded to the dropped points by causing some disturbances after the game.

The club who were ISL champions in 2009/2010 are second off the bottom while much of the team that won the ISL play in the IPL.

Arema's Results 2011/2012

Arema v Persela 0-1 14,000

Persiba v Arema 2-1

Gresik United v Arema 2-0

Arema v Persiram 2-2 5,000

Results 04/01

2012-01-05T16:24:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persela v Sriwijaya 1-1 (Gery Setia; Rizki) 10,000

Arema v Persiram 2-2

Divisi Utama (LI)

PSMP v Perssin 1-1

Thai FA Cup Quarter Finals

Loei City v Songkhla 0-4

Muang Thong United v Sri Racha 4-0

Buriram PEA v BEC Tero 2-0

Hanging On The Telephone

2012-01-04T17:32:00.003+07:00

I dunno how many football matches I've seen over the years in various countries; can't be far off a 1,000. But outside of a pub league game on a Sunday morning in brass monkeys weather I have never seen a professional footballer take a phone call just minutes before kick off in a vital top flight game.

But that is what happened when Bangkok Glass hosted Khon Kaen in the Thai Premier League before Christmas.

The coach was giving his final team talk ahead of the bloody huddle that all teams 'must' do when the phone was passed to one player, no doubt to receive instructions from some powerful person wanting to bypass the coach all together.

Khon Kaen are nicknamed T Rex, not after Marc Bolan's band but the dinosaur; an appropriate epitaph perhaps for the club's management style?

Doubling Up

2012-01-04T17:21:00.004+07:00

The old adage is that everything has been done before, there ain't nothing new under the sun. I always believed that myself. That was until i started covering Indonesian football; now I expect the new or outrageous and I must admit I am disappointed when something normal happens.

You will be aware, no doubt, that Indonesia has two leagues up and running for the second consecutive season. One is recognised by the local FA, the other ain't. You may even recall there are teams in each league which share names, Persija, Arema, Persebaya among them, with varying degrees of acceptance among the local community.

This weekend sees Arema, the LPI version, take on Persija, the IPL version. Arema features the players from last season's ISL but with a new, IPL friendly ownership while Persija can't even play their home games in their home city of Jakarta yet; possibly aware of embarrassingly low attendances.

Arema and Persija will also meet later in the ISL; obviously different teams.

But recently there have been reports that there are two different Aremas preparing for the IPL game against Persija this weekend. Yep, two different squads.

I don't know how they do it and frankly at times I don't care. Indonesian football's value comes from the nonsense off the field far more than any action on it and long may it continue.

Michiels Moves Club

2012-01-04T13:17:00.002+07:00

After sensationally walking out on Pelita Jaya last Friday, Indonesian international Diego Michiels has reported to have signed for Persija, the version playing in the officially recognised Indonesia Premier League.

He said he quit Pelita Jaya, who play in the unofficial Indonesia Super League because he was worried about his place in the international team following announcements from the PSSI, the FA, that only players with IPL teams could be called up.

Michiels came to Indonesia from the Netherlands as a naturalised player and impressed during the recent SEA Games with his commitment and performances.

The LPI doesn't have many big names or internationals and whether Michiels sparks an exodus remains to be seen. As ever the international calender is a big blank filled with plenty of hot air and there is nothing concrete until the ASEAN Cup in December, almost 12 months away.

A lot can and will happen between now and then!

Thai Memories

2012-01-04T09:10:00.005+07:00

The face of Thai football has changed immeasurably over the years and mostly it's for the better. I first moved to the country in the early 90s and while I would often read the results in the local paper and I often promised myself I would get to a game I never did.

In them times Thai Farmers' Bank were the best team, they won an Asian club competition and they even had a club shop in Siam Square selling shirts and pennants and so on.

Then there was the dream team that impressed during the Asian Games in 1994 I think it was. featuring players like Kiatisuk, who had a spell with Huddersfield Town, and Tawan who did well in later years in Singapore.

1996 saw the start of the Johnnie Walker Thailand League, a first attempt to organise a proper national league and this is the final league table for that inaugural season.

Some familar names there including TOT, Rajpracha, Sinthana (later to become Chula Sinthana, Chula United and now BBCU United), RTAF (Air Force United), RTA (Army United), Royal Thai Navy (Siam Navy), Police (United), PAT (Thai Port), Singha Tero Sasana (BEC Tero), Tobacco Monopoly (TTM Phichit), Osotspa (now play in Saraburi) and KTB who were taken over by Bangkok Glass.

A far cry from what we have today in the Thai Premier League! Fair to say nobody could have envisioned crowds of 15,000 + and former England internationals playing in the country.

The table below and indeed the results from that season can be found on the excellent RSSSF website.

 1.Thai Farmers Bank                  34  18 10  6  56-25   64  [TFB]

 2.Telephone Organization of Thailand 34  17 11  6  61-35   62  [TOT]

 3.Bangkok Bank                       34  17 11  6  54-34   62  [BBL]

 4.Stock Exchange of Thailand         34  17  9  8  59-31   60  [SET]

 5.UCOM-Rajpracha                     34  16 12  6  62-36   60

 6.Sinthana                           34  17  6 11  45-45   57

 7.Royal Thai Air Force               34  14 12  8  60-50   54

 8.Royal Thai Army                    34  14 12  8  60-50   54

 9.Royal Thai Navy                    34  13 12  9  44-29   51

 10.Police                             34  13 11 10  53-39   50

 11.Port Authority of Thailand         34   9 14 11  44-39   41

 12.Singha Tero Sasana                 34   9 14 11  37-44   41

 13.Thailand Tobacco Monopoly          34   7 14 13  37-44   35

 14.Osotspa                            34   8 10 16  41-73   34

 15.Bangkok Bank of Commerce           34   7 11 16  34-47   32

 16.Rajvithi-Agfatech                  34   8  8 18  43-71   32

 17.Krung Thai Bank                    34   5  9 20  32-54   24

 18.Singha-Thamrongthai                34   1  6 27  26-111   9

Results 03/01

2012-01-04T08:36:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

PSPS v Persisam 2-1 (Herman Dzumafo, M Isnaini; Johan yoga Utama) 9,665

1 - PSPS 5 3 0 2 9-6 9

2 - Sriwijaya 4 3 0 1 7-4 9

3 - Persisam 5 3 0 2 8-5 9

4 - Persib 4 2 2 0 6-4 8

Divisi Utama (LI)

Persip v PSGL 3-0 (Wahyu Tri Harjanto, Nurcoyo 2) 5,215

PSIM v Persih 2-0 (Nova Zaenal, Emile Lingkers) 15,267

Persebaya v Persita 1-0 (Richard Obiora) 597

PS Bengkulu v Persiku 0-0 3,000

Persitara v Persis 4-1 (Michel Adolfo De Souza, Muhamed, Firman Septian, Ramli; Bahroni Fadli) 2,735

PSBS Biak v Persepam 1-3 (Rumwaopen; Sudirman 2, Martial Poungoue Nz) 2,015

Perseru v Barito Putra 0-1 (Amirul Mukminin) 600

Persid v Persekam 1-0 (Iswanto) 2,000

Sumbawa Barat v Persigo 2-1 (Andre Levandy, Saddam Husain; Wawan Bikin) 6,125

Offiong Off To Johor

2012-01-04T07:16:00.003+07:00

Johor in the second tier Malaysia Premier League have reportedly signed English striker Richard Offiong. If true then the 28 year old striker is no stranger to playing overseas. Previously he has plied his trade in Scotland, Turkey, South Korea, Belgium, Australia and Sweden.

Jakarta Casual Awards 2011

2012-01-03T07:17:00.002+07:00

Time now for the 3rd annual Jakarta Casual Awards. A little late this time so if your hols have been ruined by their non appearance you have my sincerest apologies.

It's been another mental year with mental goings on. One thing is for sure. The people who run football in this part of the world do not do it for football. Decision making is not about the beautiful game we love so much. Understand that and everything becomes so much simpler to accept.

OK, dim the lights, roll the drum, sip some water and away we go.

SUPPORTERS OF THE YEAR

Last year's winners, the Pasoepati, were in with a shout again if only for being the only fans to fully embrace the short lived Liga Primer Indonesia along with Persebaya's bonek. Bangkok Glass support also came into consideration purely because of the bunnies with floppy ears who walk round the pitch and have their picture taken alot. But instead the award goes, for the second time in three years surprisingly, to Singapore. They got an honourary mention last year and they have built on that good work, giving up new years day to walk around Singapore promoting the SLeague, something the FA don't bother doing. So, for battling an apathetic public, an uninterested media and an FA too busy elsewhere the supporters of the year 2011 are Lions All The Way.

UNOFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE YEAR

The usual suspects feature prominently again this year. Simamaung, Pasoepati, Ongisnade, Pusam and Balikpapaners continue to do a great job covering their team in difficult circumstances. Blogs aren't covered in this section so Singapore clubs are poorly represented as are Thais for the simple fact that the fan sites there tend to be in Thai! Understandable of course but no help to me; I can just about handle menus in restaurants! Anyway perhaps a dozen nutters following a foreign league in a foreign land where a foreign language is the default medium and what you have is Thai Football; a message board that manages to stay current with the flux in the kingdom with healthy amounts of banter and bitterness thrown in. The first message board to win the unofficial website of the year award!

STORY OF THE YEAR

Lee Hendrie came and went but the real story, the only story of the year can be the short lived Liga Primer Indonesia that ushered in a new level of Alice in Wonderland to football in the country with them now the official FA and managing to confuse everybody with their decisions and actions. You couldn't make it up and I'm not.

CLUB OF THE YEAR

Buriram PEA have so dominated the Thai football landscape it seems daft to look beyond them. Yes, they have been dogged by controversy and some of the allegations surrounding what goes on behind the scenes leave a bad taste in the mouth. But in football terms they have proved near unbeatable. Next up is Asian club competition.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Another good year for Persipura coach Jacksen F Tiago, leading the Black Pearls to the Indonesia Super League in 2010/2011 but the winner of this year's coach of the year is Ong Kim Swee who led Malaysia to a second consecutive SEA Games title in the cauldron like atmosphere of a capacity Bung Karno Stadium. I dunno what he said ahead of the penalty shoot out but it worked. Malaysia approached them calmly and professionally while the hosts were shitting bricks.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Khairul Fahmie (Kelantan & Malaysia)

M Ridwan (Sriwijaya & Indonesia), Paul Cunningham (Balastier Khalsa), Nattaporn Pannarit (Muang Thong United & Thailand) Diego Michels (Pelita Jaya & Indonesia)

Greg Nwokolo (Persija/Pelita Jaya), Ahmad Bustomi (Arema/Mitra Kukar & Indonesia), Ahmad Latiff (Tampines Rovers), S Kunalan (Negeri Sembilan & Malaysia)

Aleksander Duric (Tampines Rovers & Singapore), Keith Kayamba (Sriwijaya)

Substitutes

Megia Kurnia (Arema & Indonesia), M Nusaha (Persija/Persib & Indonesia), Safuwan Baharudin (Young Lions & Singapore), Safiq Rahim (Selangor & Malaysia), Safee Sali (Pelita Jaya & Malaysia)

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

He was a close second last year but this year Khairul Fahmie picks up the young player of the year. Such a consistent keeper with a bright future ahead of him. Goalies, so we are told, don't mature till their 30s!

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

There must come a time when your body says enough is enough. Three players lead the race for the player of the year award this year and neither are spring chickens. One was runner up in 2009 and featured in both teams of the year so far. The other is also frighteningly consistent. Both are very fit and both are excellent role models. The winner, by the narrowest of margins is the timeless Aleksander Duric!

There you have it. Another exciting year in south east Asia behind us and more thrills and spills ahead in 2012 with, among other things, Thailand and Malaysia hosting the ASEAN Cup in December. As ever Jakarta Casual will be providing the latest new, opinion and even occasional match report.

Jakarta Casual Awards 2009

Jakarta Casual Awards 2010

Tits Up For Muang Thong United

2012-01-03T06:56:00.004+07:00

Two time champions Muang Thong United sit in 3rd place in the Thai Premier League, a whopping 25 points behind champions Buriram PEA. The gap is so large I needed a calculator to work it out. Of course they were never gonna make it three TPLs in three years, not once Buriram PEA decided they wanted to win it this year. But Muang Thong's fall from grace has been stunning.

Boasting players with the calibre of Datsakorn, Kawin, Teersil and Nattaporn and imports like Dagna and Koukou then they would have expected to have run the champions a lot closer than they did.

The revolving door of coaches didn't help and the feeling must persist that appointing former Liverpool and England international Robbie Fowler was made with an eye of generating headlines. After all, the club is owned by a media empire and they know how big names from Europe will keep the club in newspapers while the title has been decided elsewhere.

The team's run in has been abject.

P 9 W 2 D 3 L 4

Their defeat on new year's eve away to Buriram PEA was their fourth straight.

A big clear out is on the cards ahead of next season. Whether Fowler will be there, despite receiving the vote of confidence, remains to be seen.

Only Singaporeans Need Apply

2012-01-03T06:40:00.002+07:00

Tickets for the daftly named LionsXII, sorry but it is a daft name, opening game in the Malaysia Super League against Kelantan go on sale this Friday. Again the Singapore FA have this nonsense idea that tickets will only go on sale to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents which means if I wanted to go I couldn't.

Imagine Liverpool and Manchester United tickets were only sold to English people? Then you'd have Singaporeans whine like hell.

Main stand costs $12 while that bit opposite which is rarely used for SLeague games will cost $7. Wrinklies and brats with homework pay two bucks. Season tickets will also be available, costing $160 and $95. That will cover MSL, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup.

Indonesian Mess

2011-12-30T01:49:00.003+07:00

Not written much about the current mess in Indonesia for a while but did you know nothing has been sorted? Hard to believe, I know. The current leadership of the PSSI is proving to be deeply unpopular even among its own members who want to hold a special meeting some time next year. FIFA has given PSSI until early next year to sort the mess or face sanctions. Just give them a ban now and have done with it.

Cambodian Team Enter Malaysian Competition

2011-12-30T01:45:00.002+07:00

Cambodian team Preach Khan Reach will be competing in the Malaysian FA Cup. They follow champions Phnom Penh Crown who have entered the Singapore Cup the last few years and likely will do so again next year.

PSV Latest Embarrasment For PSSI

2011-12-24T07:41:00.002+07:00

With the Indonesian Football Association struggling for credibility at home the news that PSV Eindhoven have cancelled their proposed dates in Jakarta won't be the best christmas present they'll ever receive.

With Indonesia only able to call on players from the Indonesia Premier League the promoters pulled the plug citing concerns the hosts won't be able to put up a credible team to face the Dutch visitors.

Despite the IPL being the official league in Indonesia, the biggest teams and best players play in the rebel league and FIFA have said the ISL players could not e considered for international duty.

Hiek Is A Bunny

2011-12-23T02:28:00.002+07:00

Bangkok Glass have signed Cameroonian defender Valery Hiek. Should be a good signing for the Thai team, Hiek has been a consistent performer for Home United over recent seasons.

Air Force United v Raj Pracha 1-0

2011-12-22T13:42:00.004+07:00

Division One action yesterday, once I finally found the bloody stadium. The game had been moved to Ramkamheng because of the flooding that had effected Air Force's usual stadium but was the stadium easy to find? Was it bollocks. Every bugger I asked either knew nothing about it or pointed me unhelpfully to Rajamangala which is nearby.

It used to be Mad Dogs and Englishmen that went out in the mid day sun. Well, 3.30 ain't midday and it is the cool season in Thailand but it was still freaking hot under the tropical sun. Yet before the game the hosts had to stand through two anthems and two huddles after their pre match kick around. Football Thai style I guess.

Roared on by a passionate cheer squad that never totalled more than a dozen, Air Force went for three points but after a run of two games a week for a few weeks they were knackered and halfway through the first half I was counting the moments till the end of the 90.

Last minute of the first half and the Air Force coach takes off his striker, replacing him with another, while his team were defending throw in. Daft move I thought, why not wait till half time. I reached for my note book and lo and bloody behold the replacement striker only goes and scores a goal.

The hosts reward for these three points, apart from climbing to 11th, is training today and a hour bus ride to Phuket tomorrow. The glamour of football eh?

Interview with Air Force United defender Scott Baginski can be found on Jakarta Casual TV while images from the game are on Asian Football Pictures.

Sharks Interested In Persipura Striker

2011-12-21T11:13:00.002+07:00

Just as I was on my way to the airport yesterday I read a story that Persipura striker Titus Bonai was interesting Thai Premier League side Chonburi. Selangor were also said to be interested. Bonai says he is focussed on Persipura for now...as you would expect a footballer to say. I mean, they never, ever think about their next meal ticket. Ever.

Kelantan AFC Cup Campaign

2011-12-19T21:49:00.002+07:00

The AFC website is saying that Kelantan will play their AFC Cup home games at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, far from their home town of Kota Bahru.

Problem with that stadium is access. When I went to see the Arsenal by the time I reached Hang Tuah and wanted to change lines the other line had stopped running...had to make do with a Malaysian taxi driver...not my idea of fun. Ever.

I am so tempted by their game against Arema...

When Sumatra Meets Bali

2011-12-19T21:40:00.002+07:00

Good news. I think. Persires have merged with former Liga Primer Indonesia team Bali De Vata and will play in the, for now, official Divisi Utama. Persires are from some unknown place on Sumatra while Bali is bloody miles away.

If Persires do have any fans, and I'm sure they do, it is not known what they feel about this merger.

Results 19/12

2011-12-19T21:17:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Deltras v Pelita Jaya 2-0 (Sean Rooney 2) 9,560

1 - Persisam 4 3 0 1 7-3 9

2 - Sriwijaya 4 3 0 1 7-4 9

3 - Persib 4 2 2 0 6-4 8

Rooney gets his first goals in Indonesia against a Pelita Jaya team that saw John Tarkpor make his debut. Catch my interview with Rooney on Jakarta Casual TV.

Results 18/12

2011-12-19T20:51:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Sriwijaya v Persija 2-1 (Hilton Moreira 2; Pedro Javier) 20,000

Persisam v Persiwa 2-0 (Christian Gonzales) 14,327

Indonesia Premier League

Persijap v Persema 1-1 (Julio Lopez; Reza)

PSM v Persija (IPL) 1-1 (Spasojevic; De Porras)

Arema v Persibo 2-0 (Gunawan Dwi Cahaya, Roman Chhmelo) 20,160

Confused by two Persijas in two different leagues? One is the real Persija who play in the rebel league, the other is not a real Persija who play in the official league. Simple eh?

1 - Semen Padang 4 2 2 0 7-2 8

2 - Persija 4 2 2 0 9-6 8

3 - Arema 2 2 0 0 4-1 6

The season now goes into its second break of the campaign for Christmas and New Year.

Divisi Utama (IPL)

PSSB v PSBL 1-1 (Imanda; Azhar)

PSCS v PPSM 1-0 (Mahop)

Persires v Perseman 2-0 (Nengeh, Pranoto)

There were a whole heap of Utama games scheduled to be played over the weekend but only five actually kicked off. As usual with the new PSSI they had no idea what teams are actually in their league and what teams aren't. Their fixture lists are fantasy football. I had planned to go and see one game on Saturday and according to the official website there were games planned locally but in the end didn't bother. Just as well really.

Thai Premier League

Sisaket v Muang Thong United 1-2 6,514

Samut Songkram v Thai Port 2-0 2,000

Raj Navy v Osotspa 1-0 (Wuttichai) 2,273

BEC Tero v Chonburi 0-1 (Pipob On Mo) 3,268

Police United v Khon Kaen 1-2

The former champions secured only their second win in six games in the north east but the season is all over, Buriram PEA long crowned champions. Police United played their game in Suphanburi, not their regular Thammasat Stadium.

Division One

Bangkok v BBCU 4-1

Buriram v Raj Pracha 7-1

PTT Rayong v RBAC 5-0

Songkla v Bangkok United 0-2

PSV Visit Jakarta

2011-12-19T20:46:00.001+07:00

9/01 v Indonesia Select

12/01 v Jakarta Select

Both games at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta where the pitch would be better suited to a rodeo.

Muang Thong United's Tough End Of Season

2011-12-19T20:28:00.001+07:00

In many ways they were the team that propelled Thai football into the national consciousness. Chonburi maybe were the first to develop a local identity, to build a team that people could recognize as being their very own after an era when club sides like BEC Tero Sasana and Thai Farmers; Bank may have won kudos overseas for their Asian Cup exploits but struggled locally to make much of an impact.

The purchase or merger with Nong Jork by a media company effectively brought Thai football into the 20^th Century. Backed by a slick marketing team Nong Jork were transformed into Muang Thong United and the subliminal message was of success and glory.

The name itself, Muang Thong means City of Gold and is a new town area north of Bangkok called Muang Thong Thani, pretty much a building site when I was living in Bangkok.

The club colours, red and black, and the use of the word United in the club title brought images of Manchester United while a change kit of all white brought to mind Real Madrid.

Success followed success for a new generation of Thai football fans. Muang Thong United won back to back TPLs and seemed set fair to dominate the game on and off the field for a long time to come. They attracted the best players, Datsakorn Tonglao and Teerasil Dangda among them, while recruited names like Henrique Calisto to coach them to success.

But the team and their fans will look back on 2011 with more than a tinge of disappointment. Buriram PEA have come along and outspent the Thai champions and their coronation at the weekend was merely the official recognition of what everyone had known for a long time.

Muang Thong have struggled to hold on to coaches. Winning the title has been no guarantee of job security as the owners of the club take offense at anything they deem lacking respect.

Robbie Fowler, the former Liverpool and England striker is now in the hot seat, his first coaching position, and he is overseeing a final run in that sees the team long out of title contention. The cups are a possibility as is second place but it is all a far cry from the heady days of back to back titles and last week’s 3-1 home defeat by Raj Navy seemed to sum up a disappointing season.

A week earlier they had slipped a two goal lead at home to struggling Khon Kaen, the north east time netting twice right at the death. One win in five games was not something they were used to.

The club owner, who had earlier given Fowler the Thai equivalence of a vote of confidence, came out a publicly criticized the team, saying the same mistakes had kept cropping up and the players hadn’t learnt their lessons. Whether that statement also extended to the board who kept changing coaches is not clear bit highly unlikely.

Now you could argue whether the owner got his timing right or not. But with the season yet to end and possible cup finals on the horizon it may hot have been the best time to come out and say there would be a mass clear out of players come the end of the season.

Obviously as professionals the players will continue to give their best (approved Professional Footballers’ Association quote for media outlets at difficult times), but a large part of them will be looking ahead to next season and where they will be. It’s only natural.

To be left in limbo like that can’t be a good thing for any employee. As coach Robbie Fowler has the job of motivating players who know they aren’t wanted for the next season. And despite the vote of confidence he will only naturally be concerned about his own job security, especially considering the ease with which the axe is swung in them parts.

There is a part of Thai culture, which owners and bosses particularly feel attached to, which says that respect must at all times be extended to those at the top of the pyramid. They take offence very easily and protect their ‘face’ jealously by showing how powerful they are and sod the consequences.

The issue of ‘face’ is complex and one that is considered way beyond us hairy, big nosed westerners. But all the while football isn’t about football, it’s about the personal aggrandizement of self serving individuals then the game will remain their plaything and not a sport that can be fully embraced by the country as a whole.

Fans of Muang Thong can expect a clear out ahead of the new season then. Continuity seems a dirty word up there and you can’t help but wonder how the club owners would get on running a club like, say, Manchester United.

Couple Of Thai Records

2011-12-19T20:26:00.001+07:00

It’s hard to get too excited about Buriram PEA winning the Thai Premier League. It’s been a done deal for so long plus the involvement of high profile politicians and the lingering suspicions of franchise football all leave a bad taste in the mouth.

There are though a couple of noteworthy achievements to come out of their triumph. Rangsan Vivatchajchok won his fifth TPL title with a third or fourth different club.

2000 – BEC Tero

2003 – Krung Thai Bang

2004 – Krung Thai Bank

2008 – PEA

2011 – Buriram PEA

Sure likes his corporate teams, this fella. The question is how much are PEA related to Buriram PEA? Are they different teams? Is PEA just a name available to the highest bidder? Does anyone really care?

For Buriram PEA coach Attapon Busabakom it’s his third title as coach with three different clubs

2003 – Krung Thai Bank

2009 – Muang Thong United

2011 – Buriram PEA

Source – Thai League Football

Results 16/12

2011-12-18T05:50:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Gresik United v Arema 2-0 (Warwan Mustafa, James Koko Lomell) 21,000

Persidadon v Persib 2-2 (Rasmovo, Eduard Ivakdalam; Miljan Radovic, M Ilham) 875

Mitra Kukar v Persipura 1-2

Arema's woeful start to the season continued, their defeat away to Gresik in the East Java derby was their third straight and they remain in 17th, one place behind Persiram. Anyway, is it Gresik United of Presegres? They get called by both in different reports, this inconsistency just one more thing that makes following Indonesian football so bloody confusing. Persipura returned to winning ways after their thumping at Persisam, winning at bright starters Mitra Kukar.

1 - Persib 4 2 2 6-4 8

2 - Persija 3 2 1 0 7-0

3 - Mitra Kukar 4 2 1 1 11-6 7

4 - Persipura 4 2 1 1 9-8 7

Indonesia Premier League

Semen Padang v Persiba Bantul 0-0

Divisi Utama

PSIR v Persepar 1-0 (Christian Lenglolo)

PSS v Persipasi 3-1 (Marman, Arang Hadi, Charles Orock; Bayu Pradana)

Thai Premier League

Army United v Buriram PEA 1-3

TOT v TTM Phichit 1-3 485

Sri Racha v Bangkok Glass 2-2

Pattaya United v Chiang Rai United 3-0

If you have spent the last 12 months in the Sahara then you will be surprised to learn that Buriram PEA have won the TPL. For the rest of us we knew it was coming since March. PEA will leave Buriram and newly promoted Buriram will 'merge' with something that no longer exists and by dint of those spectacular mental gymnastics Buriram United will play in the AFC Champions League next year. Which shows the farcical levels Thai football has sunk to to keep the 'phu yai' sweet.

Division One

Chantaburi v Air Force United 1-2

Saraburi v Chainat 3-1 2.554

Samut Prakarn Customs v Suphanburi 2-1

Thai Honda v Phuket 2-2 120

Chiang Mai v JW Rangsit 2-0 6,874

1 - Buriram 30 22 7 1 69-15 73

2 - Chainat 31 20 3 8 64-34 63

3 - BBCU 31 17 9 5 37-19 60

4 - PTT Rayong 30 14 8 8 44-25 50

Buriram and Chainat are promoted while BBCU, who used to be called Chula United or Chula Sinthana in simpler times, should gain the third promotion spot barring a collapse in their last three games.

Tough Times For KL

2011-12-17T03:41:00.003+07:00

Malaysian football may be riding high regionally with the national team joint holders of the SEA Games and the ASEAN Cup but things ain't so hot domestically. Teams with little in the way of a support base or culture like KL PLUS, MyTeam and Kuala Muda have fallen by the wayside in recent years and now problems are circulating around Kuala Lumpur.

Most capital cities boast more than one football club. KL struggles with one. Plagued with financial problems, cursed with a bloody awful pitch, one story had them playing their home games at Melaka's Hang Tuah Stadium, they are struggling to put a team together for the season that begins next month.

Later today they will be holding a fund raising drive to, umm, raise money for the coming season.

It's a shame them Malaysians who own Queen's Park Rangers and Cardiff City can't do their bit for local football instead of sending their money overseas and grabbing cheap, meaningless headlines by asking the likes of Safee Sali and Safiq Rahim for pointless trials.

Image taken from Foul!

UPDATE - Haresh asks some searching questions. Wonder if they will be answered?

Thais Clueless When TPL Will End

2011-12-16T03:25:00.002+07:00

Incompetence over fixture scheduling is an ASEAN speciality. The Indonesians have long led the field, and now there are two leagues there we get to see double the incompetence.

Lately the Thais want their turn. The current Thai Premier League began in March and there have been so many changes to the schedule I think everyone has forgotten when it was originally slated to end.

Now comes news it may end in January 2012. The King's Cup, a tournament featuring 'B' teams and Under 23 teams usually from Scandinavia and North Korea, has also thrown a spanner in the works, pushing dates back even further.

Still, the Thais have some way to go to beat the Indonesians whose 2007 season finished in January 2008.

Rahmad Admits PSSI Forced Departure

2011-12-16T03:06:00.002+07:00

Former Indonesia Under 23 coach Rahmad Darmawan has admitted it was decisions taken by the PSSI that forced him to step down. He had earlier led Indonesia to the SEA Games Final where they lost on penalties to Malaysia.

The PSSI announced only players who take part in their own Indonesia Premier League would be eligible for the national team. When you consider the best players, and the best teams, are competing in the 'rebel' Super League it is easy to understand Darmawan's frustration.

The new PSSI have a habit of getting rid of coaches who take the national team to finals. Earlier this year they sacked Alfred Riedl because, they claimed, they could not find his contract. Riedl had earlier led Indonesia to the final of the ASEAN Cup where they had lost to Malaysia.

So there you have it. If you are thinking of becoming the coach of national team in Indonesia any time soon, don't go and reach a final...

2011-12-15T05:27:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persiba v Persela 0-0

Indonesia Premier League

Arema v PSMS 2-1 (Noh Alam Shah, TA Mushafri; Julio Cesaer Alscorse) 13,000

Officials boasting that 13,000 fans attended this game but last year there would likely have been double that crowd. The Arema team in the IPL is the same as the team that competed in the ISL last year, they just have different, more IPL-friendly, owners than the other ISL Arema.

Thai Premier League

Muang Thong United v Raj Navy 1-3 (Nonthapan; og, Wutichai, Alex Ruela)

Chonburi v Sri Racha 2-1 (Pipob On Mo, og; Cristiano Lopes)

Khon Kaen v BEC Tero 0-3 (Jakkrit, Roonachai, Teerathep)

Funny results yesterday. The Muang Thong owner had a good whine at the weekend after seeing his team lose a two goal lead at home to Khon Kaen. However he did stand behind coach Robbie Fowler. Wonder if he is so benevolent this morning after this shock defeat?

Chonburi won the Eastern Seaboard Derby with the visitor's goal coming from former Pelita Jaya and Deltras (?) striker Lopes.

After their late comeback on Saturday for a point, this time Khon Kaen conceded two late goals.

LionsXII Won't Be Relegated

2011-12-15T05:22:00.002+07:00

As part of the agreement that sees the daftly named LionsXII play in the Malaysia Super League, the Singapore team won't be relegated.

So the 13 Malaysian teams can go down but even if the daftly named LionsXII, what will any fans sing or chant with that daft name, but one team has preferential treatment.

Can they do that? Are the AFC and FIFA ok with that?

Malaysian Schedules Delayed

2011-12-14T16:42:00.001+07:00

SHAH ALAM - Malaysia Super League (MSL) champions Kelantan are in the frame to face V Sundramoorthy's LionsXII in the opening game of the 2012 season, but the fixture will only be confirmed next Wednesday.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) vice-president Datuk Hamidin bin Haji Amin told TODAY that while they have drawn up a tentative schedule of fixtures, they will only be released after a final round of checks of stadiums this week.

He said: "Early this year we imposed a rule that requires stadiums to upgrade their floodlights and pitches, up to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) standards, and we will be conducting final checks this week.

"Checks on the floodlights will determine if games will be played in the evening or at night, and after these checks, a final fixture list will be released on Dec 21."

With at least three stadiums-Shah Alam, Larkin and Cheras-remaining closed till April, some clubs are required to share venues, another issue that FAM need to consider before finalising fixtures, especially with the Malaysia FA schedule already determined.

The MSL kicks off on Jan 10, with the FA Cup to start on Feb 18.

Said Hamidin: "There will be hiccups for sure, but we don't want to release a list, then be forced to make changes and inconvenience everyone."

COMMENT - the quote in bold should make sweet reading for the jugglers in the various Indonesian and Thai leagues whose sole purpose in life it is is to change fixtures on a whim.

More Indonesia & Malaysia Friendlies

2011-12-13T23:23:00.003+07:00

It used to be just Persib Bandung who would regularly (a relative term) face international (well, Malaysian) opposition, but now it seems more and more clubs are seeing the benefits of playing foreign teams.

08/12 Persita Tangerang v Sarawak 1-1

11/12 Persikab Bandung v Sarawak 1-3

20/12 PSMS v Perak

22/12 PSMS v Sime Darby

23/12 Kelantan v Persebaya

28/12 Persebaya v Kelantan

More Bad News For PSSI

2011-12-13T22:54:00.003+07:00

In yet more humiliation for the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Rahmad Darmawan has stepped down as coach of the Under 23 team. He says the reason is because the team failed to win the SEA Games; they were beaten by Malaysia on penalties in the final.

However the PSSI had said that the national team could only call on players who played in the 'official' Indonesia Premier League, a continuation of the failed LPI last season which has failed to attract the best clubs and players.

The bulk of the SEA Games team came from the Indonesia Super League, this year's rebel league, and if the coach was to be limited to IPL players he would have had slim pickings indeed.

The new officials at the PSSI had promised to 'change the game' bringing football into the modern era but they have been marred by a serious of gaffes and decisions that have left people scratching their head.

They started by sacking former national team coach Alfred Riedl because, so they said, they couldn't find his contract. They then built a top division of 24 teams only to see 11 pull out. Now even with the second tier Divisi Utama they are facing difficulties with plans for a three division league of 36 teams now whittled down to 27.

They kicked off their IPl with a game between Persib and Semen Padang only for Persib to later leave the league, causing more embarrassment.

Disgrace! Muang Thong Boss Slams Team...

2011-12-13T17:14:00.002+07:00

Muang Thong United, back to back TPL champions, managed to let slip a two goal lead at the weekend, seeing Khon Kaen net twice at the death to earn a late point.

The Muang Thong owner is less than impressed and called his team a 'disgrace'.

In honour of the Bangkok Post's football writer I'm writing this entire post in single sentence paragraphs.

He goes on to say he has never seen such a bad performance from the team.

The owner says that, not the guy from the Post.

The guy from the Post says that Robbie Fowler is the club's most popular player without offering any evidence.

The owner obviously won;t be agreeing with that sentiment.

For a while.

Malaysia FA Cup Draw 2012

2011-12-13T16:48:00.003+07:00

Group A

Terengganu vs PDRM
Perak vs ATM
UiTM vs Lions XII
Betaria vs Melaka
POS Malaysia vs USM
Sime Darby vs Sabah
Negeri Sembilan vs Johor FC
Shahzan Muda vs Selangor

Group B

Kelantan vs Sarawak
Kuala Lumpur vs MP Muar
Harimau Muda B vs Pulau Pinang
KL SPA vs MB Johor Bharu
Kedah vs Selangor PKNS
Perlis vs PPSDM
Johor vs T-Team
Felda United vs Pahang

Ties to be played 18/02/12 and 10/03/12

Results 13/12

2011-12-13T16:41:00.002+07:00

International Friendly

Sydney v Malaysia Under 23 0-3 (Hazwan Bakri 2, Gurusamy)

Indonesia Super League

Mitra Kukar v Persiwa 6-1 (Marcus Bent 2, Jajang Maulyana 2, Lee Sang Min, Nemanja Obric;)

Persisam v Persipura 3-1 (Christian Gonzales, Yongki Aribowo; Boas Solossa)

Results 12/12

2011-12-13T05:46:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Persidafon v Pelita Jaya 1-1 (Eduard Ivakdalam; Joko Sasongko) 475

Deltras v Persib 0-0 14,000

Indonesia Premier League

Persija v Persema 2-1

Results 10-11/12

2011-12-12T04:45:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Gresik United v Persela 3-2 (James Koko Lommel 2, Gaston Castano; Rudi Widodo, Mario Costas) 20,000

Persiba v Arema 2-1 (Kenji Adichihara, Rachmat Latif; Marcio Souza) 4,837

Persiram v Persija 0-6 (Robertinho, Bambang Pamungkas, Ramdani Lestalahu, Johan Juanshyah, Ismed Sofyan, Rachmat Affandi) 600

Sriwijaya v PSPS 2-1 (Keith Kayamba, Hilton Moreira; Herman Dzumafo) 15,234

Whoops! Just days after I scribbled something along the lines of Persija were in for a slow, painful season they go and hit Persiram for six. The game was played in Lamongan which would have eased the burden for the Kemayoran Tigers.

1 - Persija 3 2 1 0 7-0 6

2 - Persiwa 2 2 0 0 6-3 6

3 - Sriwijaya 3 2 0 1 5-3 6

4 - Persib 2 2 0 0 4-2 6

3 - Keith Kayamba (Sriwijaya), Gaston Castano (Gresik United)

Indonesia Premier League

Persibo v Persiraja 2-0

PSM v Persiba 2-1

Persebaya v Semen Padang 0-1

Bontang v Persijap 1-1

Will Semen Padang win the IPL? Will the season even finish? Is there no results page on their official website? Why was Persija v Persema postponed at the last reason? The moments are never dull in the wild, wacky world of Indonesian football...

Divisi Utama (IPL)

PSIS v Persik 3-0 (Victor Borges 2, Azmi Awibi) 15,000

Thai Premier League

TOT v Sisaket 0-0 1.391

Khon Kaen v Muang Thong United 2-2 (;Teerasil Dangda, Anon Sangsanoi)

Sriracha v Buriram PEA 0-1 (Frank Ohandza)

Samut Songkram v TTM 2-3

Chiang Rai United v Osotspa 2-1 3,800

Police United v Bangkok Glass 3-1

BEC Tero v Thai Port 0-0

Army v Raj Navy 2-0

Chonburi v Pattaya United 2-2 4,715

Is it even worth writing about the TPL? The winners were decided long ago, it's just been a painful journey for the rest, waiting for the inevitable. The question is, is it PEA's second title win after they won it a couple of years back or Buriram PEA's first? And if PEA do move on are Buriram United a new football club and if so do they deserve to enter the AFC Champions League and indeed even the TPL? The answer of course depend on who you know.

Muang Thong United and Chonburi politely played their part in Buriram PEAs charge to the tile. Khon Kaen came from behind to score two late, late goals while Chonburi received no favours from their sibling rivals, twice taking the lead only for team from Sin City to claw back, former Gombak United player Gabriel Obatala netting one.

SLeague 2.0 & Leaks Galore

2011-12-09T05:55:00.004+07:00

Among the changes being mooted next year for the expanded 14 team SLeague are games to be spread over three match days. At the moment games are as good as played seven days a week so the same stewards and fans don't miss a game. The season will kick off 9/2/12.

Etoile also have asked to be allowed to play local players. They want to include six in their squad, playing a maximum of four. If granted perhaps they can change their name? One suggestion given to me could be Queenstown Stars!

Oh and chairman told to watch what they say! They don't like too much freedom of expression there, do they!

No mention of improved marketing yet...

It's All About Money, Honey

2011-12-09T05:47:00.002+07:00

After signing for Saigon FC in the VLeague defender Huynh Quang Thanh is thought to be earning a tasty $476,000 a year, easily the highest in the country. Lee Hendrie is thought to have been earning $550,000 for his stint in Indonesia while salaries there rarely top $100,000.

Big Names For VLeague?

2011-12-09T05:45:00.001+07:00

VietNamNet Bridge – Big spenders Ninh Binh are hoping to sign footballing superstars including Rivaldo and Guti ahead of the upcoming season.

"After the 2011 season, the managers were looking to improve our squad for next year. Ninh Binh look forward to signing stars such as Rivaldo and Guti to play in the V-League," said Pham Van Le, head of the Ninh Binh Football Delegation.

Le said that over the past three months, Ninh Binh officials had been in contact with various players' agents, but no agreements had been reached. Le confirmed that if the two stars wanted to play in Asia, he was ready to bring them to Viet Nam, although he admitted that it would not be easy.

Earlier, Brazil-based Sao Paulo managers said veteran Rivaldo, 39, would not be in their plans for the new season.

Rivaldo, a former Barcelona midfielder, said he wanted to play on until the end of 2012

Rivaldo was in the Brazilian squad that triumphed at the 2002 World Cup. In his career he won the European Golden Ball twice and FIFA Player of the Year in 1999 while playing for Barcelona.

Meanwhile Guti, who left Turkey's Besiktas several weeks ago, said he did not want to play in Europe anymore and was interested in a move to Asia.

Before moving to Besiktas in 2010, the 35-year-old spent nine years at Real Madrid where he won five La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns.

COMMENT - I wanna longer holiday but don't mean I'm gonna get it...

It's Madiun For Jakarta

2011-12-09T03:48:00.003+07:00

After much humming and haaing Jakarta FC, who like everyone to call them Persija, in the Indonesia Premier League, will play their first home game of the season in the Wilis Stadium in Madiun, East Java. Which is bloody miles away from Jakarta, their supposed home town. Apparently their was no stadium available for them to use. What about Lapangan Banteng?! Wonder how many of their loyal supporters from last season will make the journey!

Internationals Threatened

2011-12-09T03:44:00.002+07:00

The Indonesian Football Association are saying that foreign players playing in the rebel Indonesia Super League will not be permitted to play for their countries should they be called up. If they carry through on this threat then players like Keith Kayamba (St Kitts), Zah Rahan (Liberia) and Safee Sali (Malaysia pictured - red shirt) could well see their international careers in jeopardy.

Miljan Pen Keeps Persib Unbeaten

2011-12-09T03:36:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Arema v Persela 0-1 (Mario Costa) 14,000

Persib v Sriwijaya 1-0 (Miljan Radovic) 15,523

Pelita Jaya v Persiram 2-1 (Safee Sali, Sasongko; Solossa) 2,549

PSMS v Persisam 1-0 (Zulkarnain) 10,551

PSAP v Mitra Kukar 2-3 (Cecil Mfundo, Abdul Faisal; Hamka Hamzah, Jajang Maulyana, Arif Suyono) 8,450

1 - Persiwa 2 2 0 0 6-2 6

2 - Persib 2 2 0 0 4-2 6

Thai Premier League

Thai Port v Chonburi 1-0 (Ekkapoom) 2,215

Indonesian Club Interested In Baddrol

2011-12-08T05:09:00.001+07:00

Three years ago it was Singaporeans who flocked to play in Indonesia. Now it is the turn of Malaysians to be attracted by the glamour and chaos.

First Safee Salee. Now comes news his club Pelita Jaya are interested in SEA Games captain Baddrol Bahtiar.

Bored At Penarol

2011-12-07T04:37:00.002+07:00

Hopes are high that Syamsir Alam will be Indonesia's next great thing. As part of the SAD project in Uruguay he impressed enough to secure a loan deal at Penarol, one of the biggest clubs in South America.

Now he has signed for Belgian side CS Vise who play in the second division there. He will be among friends as fellow Indonesians Yericho Christiantoko, Alfin Tuasalamony and Yandi Munawar at the club owned by the same people who own Pelita Jaya and Brisbane Roar.

What is worrying though is that in this interview Alam admits to being 'bored' at Penarol. If he's bored at such a big club after a short period of time then how will he feel at a pissy Belgian club he can't even find on a map?

It sounds like this young man really needs someone to sit him down and tell him in no uncertain terms how lucky he has been so far in his fledging career but there is still a hell of a lot of work to be done. So far he has achieved nothing. His profile looks good yes, but it still amounts to little more than promise.

Getting on in football is only so much about talent. Hard work and mental strength are also just as important. Suggesting you are bored at a football club will not win you any admirers among the football fraternity.

Alam was picked out for great things from a young age. Players like Bambang Pamungkas, Kurniawan, DY, Bima Sakti and Kurnia Sandy also went abroad at a young age but never stuck around long enough to make an impression, preferring to come home for the comforts of bakso and teh botol.

If Alam, and the others, is to succeed overseas then he can't go round telling people he was 'bored' at a well respected football club. Or he will end up as part of another Lost Generation.

ATM Splash The Cash

2011-12-07T04:32:00.002+07:00

ATM are a club side in Malaysian football. Coached by Sathianathan they are fast becoming the moneybags club in the country as they put together a team for next year. Among their new signings is a familiar name to Kedah fans.

Marlon Alex James played a prominent role in guiding Kedah to consecutive domestic trebles before the door was slammed shut on foreign players.

ACL & AFC Cup Groups 2012

2011-12-06T16:29:00.003+07:00

AFC Champions League

Group H

Buriram PEA (please not they have not officially been crowned TPL champions)

Guangzhou Evergrande

Jeonbuk Hyundai

Kashiwa Reysol

AFC Cup

Group F

Kitchee

Terengganu

Song Lam Nghe An

Tampines Rovers

Group G

Yangon United

Citizen

Home United

ACL Play Off Loser

Group H

Kelantan

Ayeyawady United

Arema

Navibank Saigon

My Work Elsewhere

2011-12-06T16:18:00.001+07:00

My latest piece in the Jakarta Globe looks at the IPL v ISL fiasco while pictures from Persija v Persidafon can be found on Asian Football Pictures.

LionsXII - Singapore Back In Malaysian Football

2011-12-06T05:36:00.003+07:00

Daft name for a football team? I dunno, when we get to this part of the world, where we have MBA speak fill the pages of newspapers and the words of TV hosts all the time, you would think people would understand the meaning and importance of branding.

LionsXII? For a football team? Sounds as daft as TTM, PEA, SAFC, MyTeam, or Sime Darby.

Anyway that is how Singapore have chosen to name their team that will compete in Malaysia next year. Name aside, it is a good, positive move for Singapore football though personally I would have preferred to have seen Young Lions play north of the Causeway.

Squad taken from Today Online.

Goalkeepers:

Izwan Mahbud, Hyrulnizam Juma'at, Al-Faiz Ishak

Defenders:

Safuwan Baharudin, Juma'at Jantan, Shaiful Esah, Irwan Shah, Sevki Sha'ban, Shakir Hamzah, Shahir Hamzah, Madhu Mohana

Midfielders:

Shahril Ishak (capt), Hariss Harun (vice-capt), Safirul Sulaiman, Izzdin Shafiq, Isa Halim, Taufiq Rahmat, Raihan Rahman, Shahdan Sulaiman, Yasir Hanapi, Firdaus Kasman, Pravin Guanasagaran

Forwards:

Khairul Amri, Agu Casmir, Khairul Nizam, Fazli Ayob, Sufian Anuar, Gabriel Quak

One Road Less Travelled

2011-12-06T05:25:00.002+07:00

A Persiram home game should be one the most eagerly awaited on the football calender. They hail from Raja Ampat, pristine islands off the coast of Papua far, far to the east of Java's urban and industrial sprawl.

The team however won't be playing their home games within yards of azure waters lapping white sands. Instead they are going to use the Surajaya Stadium in the decidedly less pleasing Lamongan as their home stadium in the Indonesia Super League this season.

I understand Persela's home ground was chosen after attempts to use Lebak Bulus in Jakarta were turned down. That stadium is due to be demolished to make way for a depot for a planned rail network which may or may not get off the ground.

Results 05/12

2011-12-06T05:14:00.002+07:00

Indonesia Super League

PSPS v Deltras 0-1 (M Fakhruddin) 5,675

Persiwa v Persiba 2-0 (Eric Lewis Weeks, Eddie Foday Boakay) 3,150

Persipura v Gresik United 3-1 (Alberto Goncalves, Boas Solossa, Pauline Bio; Gaston Castano) 6,000

Persija v Persidafon 0-0 16,000

Persiwa go top of the nascent ISL after two wins in their opening two games. Both at home so no real surprise there! Dull old game at Bung Karno, Persija could well struggle to make an impact this year unless some new faces are brought in. First win for Deltras under new coach Jorg Steinbrunner at Pekanbaru, never an easy place to go and win. Disappointing crowds though, the ISL need to consider whether mid week games cannot be replaced to weekends.

Arema ISL Announce Squad

2011-12-05T08:04:00.002+07:00

The done thing these days is for there to be two clubs sharing the same name, one competing in the 'official' IPL, the other in the ISL.

Arema won the ISL back in 2009/2010 but now will compete in the IPL while a 'new' Arema has been launched who will take part in the ISL. But while the IPL version will have the likes of Noh Alam Shah and M Ridhuan the ISL version has, on paper, a much weaker squad.

Coached by Wolfgang Pikal they have recruited heavily pre season but will it be enough to sustain a title challenge?

Arema fans have grown used having iconic players pull on the famous blue shirt, players like NAS, Pierre Njanka. Boy Jati? Marcio Souza? Seme Patrick is one player who could fill that role and he will be familiar to many Arema fans after a few years with neighbours Persema but if I was an Arema fan, and I'm not, I would be underwhelmed.

Keepers

1. Dian Agus Prasetyo
2. Rudi Ardiansyah
3. Ngurah AP

Defence

1. Stephen Hesketh
2. Munhar
3. Kery Yudiono
4. Made Astawa
5. Seme Pierre Patrick
6. Waskito
7. Charis Yulianto
8. Johan Ibo

Midfield

1. Ferry Aman Saragih
2. Dudi Hidayat
3. Anggo Yulian
4. Khusnul Yuli
5. Firmansyah Aprilianto
6. Nurul Mauladi
7. Catur Pamungkas
8. Kim Yong Hee

Strikers

1. Boy Jati
2. Agung Suprayogi
3. Marcio Souza
4. Benny Kristian
5. Dicky Firasat

VLeague Fixtures

2011-12-05T06:49:00.001+07:00

Does anybody have the VLeague fixtures for next season or can point me to a link for them? Thanks...

Results 04/12

2011-12-05T04:46:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

PSMS v Mitra Kukar 1-1 (Luis Pena; Pierre Njanka) 10,000

PSAP v Persisam 1-2 (Syuti; Christian Gonzales 2) 15,300

Nine yellows and one red at Medan as Njanka scored a late qualiser for Mitra Kukar. Meanwhile in Banda Aceh Persisam came from behind to win the points against PSAP, who found things much easier in the old Divisi Utama.

Thai Premier League

Osotspa v Sisaket 2-1 (Apit, Silva Cleiton; Victor Amaro)

TTM Phichit v Raj Navy 1-2

Pattaya United v Khon Kaen 3-0

Thai Port v Chiang Rai United 1-1 (Moise; Leo Chitescu)

Buriram PEA v Samut Songkram 3-0 (Suchao Nuchnum 2, Yves Herman)

Malaysia U23 Dates Down Under

2011-12-04T07:57:00.000+07:00

13/12 v Sydney

15/12 v Central Coast

19/12 v Newcastle Jets

Results 03/12

2011-12-04T07:17:00.003+07:00

Indonesia Super League

Pelita Jaya v Sriwijaya 1-3 (Victor Igbenefo; Keith Kayamba 2, Siswanto) 5,651 Asian Football Pictures

Persib v Persiram 3-2 (Airlangga, M Ilham, Miljan Radovic; Okatvianus Maniani, JP Boumsong) 20,283