Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian senior soccer team shared a 0-0 draw in facing Saudi Arabian soccer players in a try-out match at the Bukit Jalil stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday (Oct 7).

I Made Wirawan, the country`s team goalkeeper showed his best performance in the match by foiling a barrage of attacks by the Saudi team`s strikers.

National team coach Wim Rijsbergen had assigned Hamka Hamzah as the national team captain.

Prior to the match, Wim asked all the national team members to remain focused throughout the 90-minute game, said Desy Christina, the national team`s media officer, here on Friday.

Wim did not want the bad experience to recur when the Indonesian team lost 0-3 to Iran and 0-2 to Bahrain, she said.

The country`s senior soccer team lost 0-3 (0-0) to Iran in the third round of the Pre-World Cup 2011 round in group E at Tehran`s Azadi Stadium early on Saturday (Sept.2).

Apart from that, on Tuesday night (Sept.6), the Indonesian team also lost 0-2 (0-1) to Bahrain at the Bung Karno main stadium here.

Wim said, actually the national team played well at the first half when facing Iran and Bahrain.

However, mistakes and lack of concentration for a few seconds causing lose to the national team, Desy said, quoting Wim as saying.

The national coach set a 4-3-3 pattern by fielding three strikers namely Christian Gonzales, Irfan Bachdim and Ferdinand Sinaga.

The national team players in the try-out match were I Made Wirawan (keeper), Zulkifly Syukur, Muhamad Roby, Hamka Hamzah, Supardi, Wahyu Wijiastanto, Ahmad Bustomi, Muhamad Ilham; Christian Gonzales, Irfan Bachdim and Ferdinand Sinaga.

Prior to leaving for Kuala Lumpur, the national team coach Wim Rijsbergen asked a total of 26 players to do intensive exercises at the National Training Center starting October 1, 2011 in preparation for a match with Qatar on October 11 in Jakarta.

Players who have been called to join the exercises include three goal keepers, namely Markus Haris Maulana, Ferry Rotinsulu, I Made Wirawan.

The others are back players M Nasuha, Zulkifli Syukur, Beny Wahyudi, Hamka Hamzah, M Roby, Ricardo Salampessy, Purwaka Yudi, Wahyu Wijiastanto and Supardi.

Also required to train are midfielders Toni Sucipto, M Ridwan, Firman Utina, M Ilham, Ahmad Bustomi, Hariono, as well as strikers Cristian Gonzales, Bambang Pamungkas, Ferdinand Sinaga, Boaz Solossa, Irfan Bachdim, Samsul Arif, Yongki Aribowo and Zulham Malik, national team media officer Desy Christina said here on Tuesday (Sept 27).

In a tossup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, some time ago, the Indonesian soccer team was put in Group E along with Iran, Qatar and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, national assistant coach Liestiadi said the list of players called for the exercises was drawn up based on the results of a discussion.

Speaking to the press here on Monday (Sept.5), Wim said that the team`s target in the home-match is to achieve full points.

He also hoped the Indonesian team would win the game and thereby lift the country`s name in the international arena and also raise its position in FIFA`s ranking.

Previously, Wim also said that remaining in an attacking position was the right formula to ward off the opponent`s attacks.

Players from Middle Eastern countries were adept at capitalizing on dead balls as shown by the Iranian team when they defeated Firman Utina and his friends.

"In addition, we have asked our players to avoid violating the rules in the ​defense area because the consequences will be quite harmful" said Wim who comes from Holland.

After being defeated for twice, Indonesia`s team now stands at the lowest position in the group E. Thus, there is no other alternative except to win the match against Qatar soccer team on October 11 in Jakarta.

Indonesia`s senior soccer team is widely expected to win its upcoming match with Qatar at the Bung Karno main stadium on October 11.

Indonesian striker Christian Gonzales and other members of the Indonesian team would have the psychological advantage of facing Qatar on their own turf where they are assured of the moral support of tens of thousands of domestic soccer fans.

In the meantime, the Indonesian forward players Boaz Salossa and Ricardo Salampessy who did not join the national team in facing the Saudi team in Kuala Lumpur said, they are ready to fully support the national team to face Qatar.

Salossa and Salampessy made the statement in Senayan, Jakarta on Friday.

"I am ready to strengthen the national team. We fail to join the national training center recently because we must strengthen our soccer club Persipura in the the Asian Champion League match," Salossa said.

Both Salossa and Salampessy expressed their commitment to fully support the national team to play Qatar.
(T.B003/HAJM/S012)

Reporter: by Bustanuddin
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011