Defeating Vietnam in the semifinal round was a very significant event for Indonesia because it was its team ticket to match with Malaysia, the soccer champion of the 25th SEA Games.
Two days before its win over Vietnam on November 17, the Indonesian team lost 0-1 to the Malaysians.
Malaysian player Ibrahim Syahrul Azwani made a goal at the 16th minute. The 0-1 score remained unchanged until the end of the match.
The 0-1 score made the Malaysian team the champion of group A in the 26th South East Asian (SEA) Games.
In its winning match with the Vietnamese team at Jakarta`s Bung Karno Sports Stadium, Indonesia`s goals were made by Patrick Wanggai in the 51st minute and Titus Bonai in the 88th minute.
The Indonesian team played aggressively soon after the game started with attacks on their opponent`s goal.
Strong pressure from Patrick Wanggai and Titus Bonai psyched Vietnam`s back players into committing serious violations prompting the referee to give them yellow cards.
Indonesia got the first opportunity to score in the 19th minute but regretfully the ball shot by Egi Melgiansyah from outside the penalty area could be caught by Vietnamese goalkeeper Tran Buu Ngoc.
The ball from a strong shot by Titus Bonai in the 23rd minute meanwhile could be tipped out by Tran Buu Ngoc.
Tran Buu Ngoc had to receive medical treatment after clashing with Titus Bonai.
Pressure from both sides continued but no goal was made until the end of the first round.
Heavy rain fell during the second round but it only gave more spirit to the Indonesian team. However, Indonesia`s efforts to score could only be made in the 51st minute.
After a 1-0 victory Indonesian players seemed to slow down and this was used by the Vietnamese players to step up their attacks.
But towards the end of the match, the two teams played with increased aggressiveness with several of their members colliding so hard with each other they suffered light injuries needing medical treatment.
Titus Bonai scored another goal in the 88th minute to make the score become 2-0 for Indonesia, and the score remained until the end of the game.
In the semifinal game Indonesia fielded Kurnia Meiga as the goal keeper, Hasim Kipuw, Gunawan Dwi Cahyo, Abdul Rahman, Diego Michiles, Oktovianus Maniani, Mahardiga Lasut, Egi Melgiansyah/Hendro Siswanto, Andik Vermansyah, Patrich Wanggai and Titus Bonai.
Vietnam meanwhile fielded Tran Buu Ngoc as the goal keeper, Au Van Hoan/Duong Thand Hoa, Ngo Hoang Think/Le Hoang Thien, Hoang Dinh Tung/Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Trong Hoang, Le Phan Thang, Nguyen Phan Quyet, Chu Ngoc Anh, Truong Nuynh Phu, Pham Than Luong and Lam Anh Quang.
On Monday (Nov.7), the Indonesian team gained a big victory when it defeated the Cambodian team 6-0.
In the match, the Indonesian goals were made by Titus Bonai in the 27th minute, Patrick Wanggai in the 29th and 40th minutes, Gunawan Dwi Cahyo in the 34th minute, Andik Vermansyah in the 81st and Ramdani Lestaluhu in the 84th minute.
With three points Indonesia is ranked first in Group A as the match between Malaysia and Singapore earlier ended in a 0-0 draw.
The Indonesian team immediately took an initiative to launch pressures as the game started. Stevie Bonsapia sent a ball which Titus Bonai headed towards the Cambodian post to make a 1-0 victory.
The victory increased the Indonesian team`s spirit that led Patrick Wanggai to score another goal increasing the victory to 2-0.
The victory did not reduce the Indonesian team`s spirit to make more goals.
Gunawan Dwi Cahyo made another goal in the 34th minute and Patrick Wanggai his second goal in the 40th minute to make the score to 4-0 until the end of the first round.
In the second round Andi Vermansyah scored another goal at 81st minute and Ramdani at 84th minute to make the score to 6-0 till the end of the game.
However, in playing Singaporean team on Friday (Nov 11) the Indonesia`s national soccer team won 2-0.
The first goal was made by Patrick Wanggai in the first minute and the second one by Titus Bonai in the 37th minute.
Playing under a scorching temperature, Indonesian soccer athletes under the direction of Rahmad Darmawan, directly launched a sharp attack in the first minute so that Patrik could make one goal in the first minute.
With a 1-0 score lead, the Indonesian team continued to pressure Singapore, yet Singapore also launched a fast attack. But in the 37th minute, Titus Bonai was able to outwit three Singapore`s back players and made another goal that raised Indonesia`s lead to 2-0 which remained unchanged until the end of the game.
After beating Singapore, the Indonesian team on Sunday evening (Nov 13) again beat Thailand`s team 3-1 in Group A match.
The first goal of the `Garuda Muda` national soccer team was netted by Titus Bonai at the 33rd minute. The second goal was made by Patrich Wangi at the 64th minute while the third one was netted by Ferdinan Sinaga at the 90th minute.
In the meantime, Thailand`s goal was made by Rannachai Rangsiyo through a penalty kick in front of the IIndonesian goal in the 53rd minute.
Playing in front of tens of thousands of spectators, the Indonesian team directly launched an attack through Andik Vermansyah from the right side against the defense of Thai team which was directed by Sutjarit Jantakol.
Yet Thailand`s players returned the attack and posed stiff resistance and pressure so that the game tempo relatively increased.
As a result, referee Kim Jong Hyeok issued one yellow card for Theeraton Bunmathan for a violation he made.
The Indonesian soccerers showed different attacks that forced Theeraton to tackle Andik, a violation which led the Thai player to get another yellow card and red card in the 12th minute.
Competing with only nine players led the Thai team to be not well organized. This condition was made use of by Egi Melgiansyah and friends to mount pressures, so that Ferdinan Sinaga was able to score another goal in the 90th minute.
Until the second round was finished, the score was 3-1 for Indonesia.
In the meantime, the Malaysian soccer team defeated Myanmar team 1-0 on Saturday afternoon (Nov 19) after Saarani Ahmad Fakri netted a goal at the 84th minute.
Thus, the Indonesian national soccer team will again play the Malaysian team on Monday (Nov. 20).
Whether or not the country`s team would win most prestigious match in this 26th SEA Games against Malaysia, champion in the last SEA Games, the "Garuda Muda" or the Indonesia`s under-23-years-old (U-23) soccer team, led by its chief coach Rahmad Darmawan, has reached its "obsession" to come to the final round and meet the previous strongest team, Malaysia. (*)
Reporter: By Bustanuddin
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
