Jakarta Casual

It's a truism of football that fans and coaches may be sitting in the same stadium but they're watching a different game. Bali fans may be frustrated at the lack of goals - just eight scored in their last nine games - but coach Johnny Jansen will be delighted with his rearguard only having been breached three times in that period - two of them were in one game at Bhayangkara.

More clean sheets than a short-time hotel in Bangkok may not be football's most common cliche but it should be. Bali are 10 points off leaders Borneo at the halfway point of the season, but if Jansen's defence can continue their miserly work, there is no reason why two-time champions should not start climbing the table.

While the defence is doing its job admirably, Jansen could be demanding more from his forward line. Boris Kopitovic scored for fun in Singapore for Tampines Rovers but has struggled to match those numbers in the more physically demanding Indonesian league. He is the top joint scorer with just four goals to his name, level with Mirza Mustafic and Thijmen Goppel. 

If there is a blot on the Balinese landscape, it is their home form. Just two wins and four goals is a poor return for half a season's work and is in sharp contrast to their away form - the win at PSM was the fifth on their travels, including the 1-0 at Samarinda that ended Borneo's perfect start. 

Next up, Bali United face a run of three home games in their next four. After hosting relegation-threatened Semen Padang, Bali head to Persik before back-to-back home games against Persebaya and title-chasing Persija. Coach Jansen will be counting on the Bali fans coming out in numbers for those two big games - the fans will be counting on Kopitovic and co bringing their shooting boots to the party!

# posted by Me @ 4:02 AM