My Garuda - I proud of you !!!

Respect and admiration of our National team squad who are competing in the AFF Suzuki Cup-winning 3 games in a row exhausting.

Maybe I'm just one of the many millions of national football-loving that already feels thirsty of victory, after a long period of famine.

I had witnessed periods of Indonesia's golden era of Bang Is (Iswadi Idris, late) football, I called him like that because he is a cousin of my cousin. My cousin is a cousin of Bang Is from paternal line, while with me from the maternal line.

At that era, red-white team respected in South East Asia, even at the end of the period of his career Bang Is, and became coach in Australia.

In the euphoria that was going on lately, I'm just worried about the emergence of the excessive euphoria which would prejudice our own team, in the pseudo-victory that will eventually hurt us at the end.

My attitude is critical, had invited the "anger" of a cousin who was in her face book account threatened to pinch me on the first occasion when she met me.
I was just reminded that there is still much space for improvement in red-white team if you want to restore the glory.

Without diminishing my respect to all players, coaches and officials PSSI, there are basic things that still need to be addressed, for example:

• Passing is still weak, more than 50% are not on target, unlike the beautiful Malaysian team with long passing balls, the also Thailand team;

• Team Work not solid yet, particularly the case when Okto had the ball, he always wanted to master and perform a direct kick to the opposing goal, but if he wants to share it is possible the results would be different: he vigorously but probably still too young, not much experience, still have much to learn. Unlike the senior players with rich experience of Thailand, who scored a beautiful goal into the wicket of Markus from a difficult position, but still yielded a goal with a kick of his style of Kick-Boxer, only players with talent and high flying hours that can do it.

• Champion Mentally has not appeared, in a game with a team-white elephant we only got to "play" first 8 minutes only. "Lose-Mental" because of the specter of our "always-lose"? Or are there other causes? What is clear we are much dictated the match.

• Fighting Spirit must continue to be forged, the spirit insisted only appear on 2 the first game, I honestly feel amazed at the time. Unfortunately the persistent it does not seem to play against a team time-and-white elephant. What is clear Irfan Baldim made powerless, he died in a fight like this style. Instead I applaud the local player Arif Suyono, who with his persistency, breaking Thai defense that allows the emergence of two "penalty-gift."

In spite of these shortcomings, I remain proud of and hopefully the players and coaches soon realized this shortcoming because I see 4 items had been owned by Vietnam Team, which is when its time of bang Is, the Vietnam football team is still not nothing.

Mas Bepe, Maman, Markus you have saved the team from defeat and exit from the "curse of never winning opponent Thai"; Aris we are proud to have persistent players like you.Octo-don't dare your own fun, learn to share; Irfan enjoy your game, this is Asia soccer-ball style, is different from European- salon style, El "Loco" Gonzalez and other friends on your shoulder lies hope you all Indonesian football lovers.

Stay glory my garuda.

Indonesian Version: 

Hormat dan kagum pada kesebelasan Tim Nasional kita yang sedang berlaga di piala Suzuki-AFF yang telah memenangi 3 pertandingan melelahkan secara berturut-turut.

Mungkin saya cuma salah satu dari sekian juta pencinta sepakbola tanah air yang sudah merasa haus kemenangan, setelah mengalami masa paceklik yang panjang.

Saya sempat menyaksikan masa-masa keemasan sepakbola Indonesia di jamannya bang Is (Iswadi Idris, Alm), saya memanggilnya seperti itu karena dia adalah sepupu dari sepupu saya. Sepupu saya ini adalah sepupu bang Is dari pihak ayah, sementara dengan saya dari garis ibu.

Rasanya jaman itu tim merah-putih kita disegani di Asia Tenggara, malahan pada ujung masa karirnya bang Is sempat menjadi pelatih di Australia.

Dalam euphoria yang sedang terjadi akhir-akhir ini, saya hanya mengkhawatirkan timbulnya euphoria yang berlebihan yang justru akan merugikan tim kita sendiri, larut dalam kemenangan-semu yang pada akhirnya akan merugikan kita.

Sikap saya yang kritis ini, sempat mengundang “kemarahan” seorang sepupu yang dalam account facebooknya mengancam akan mencubit saya pada kesempatan pertama kalau dia bertemu saya.

Saya cuma mengingatkan, bahwa masih banyak space for improvement pada tim-merah putih kalau ingin mengembalikan kejayaannya.

Tanpa mengurangi rasa hormat saya kepada seluruh pemain, pelatih dan para petinggi PSSI, ada hal-hal dasar yang masih perlu dibenahi, misalnya:

• Passing kita masih lemah, lebih dari 50% tidak tepat sasaran; berbeda dengan tim Malaysia yang cantik dengan bola-bola panjangnya, juga tim Thailand;

• Team Work belum padu, terutama  terjadi bila Okto menguasai bola; dia selalu ingin menguasai dan melakukan tendangan langsung ke gawang lawan, padahal kalau dia mau berbagi ada kemungkinan hasilnya akan berbeda; dia penuh semangat tapi mungkin masih terlalu muda, belum banyak pengalaman, masih harus banyak belajar. Berbeda dengan pemain senior Thailand yang kaya pengalaman, goal indah yang dilesakkan ke gawang Markus dari posisi yang sulit, tapi tetap membuahkan goal dengan tendangan ala Kick-Boxer nya, hanya pemain dengan talenta dan jam terbang tinggi yang bisa melakukannya.

• Mental Juara belum nampak,dalam pertandingan dengan tim gajah-putih kita hanya sempat “main” 8 menit pertama saja.  “Kalah-Mental” karena momok kita “selalu-kalah” ? atau ada sebab-sebab lain? Yang jelas kita banyak didikte dalam pertandingan tersebut.

• Fighting Spirit harus terus ditempa, semangat ngotot hanya tampak pada 2 pertandingan pertama; saya jujur merasa kagum waktu itu. Sayang ke-ngototan itu tidak tampak pada waktu bertanding melawan tim gajah-putih. Yang jelas Irfan Baldim dibuat tidak berdaya, dia mati gaya dalam laga seperti ini. Justru saya salut pada pemain lokal Arif Suyono, yang dengan kebandelannya dia mengobrak-ngabrik pertahanan Thailand yang memungkinkan timbulnya  dua “hadiah penalty”.

Terlepas dari kekurangan-kekurangan tersebut, saya tetap bangga dan mudah-mudahan pemain serta pelatih segera menyadari kekurangan ini karena saya melihat 4 butir tadi sudah dimiliki oleh Tim Vietnam, yang ketika jamannya bang Is, kesebelasan Vietnam masih belum apa-apa.

Mas Bepe, Maman, Markus Anda telah menyelamatkan tim dari kekalahan dan keluar dari “kutukan tidak pernah menang lawan Thailand”; Aris kami bangga punya pemain bernyali seperti Anda.Octo-jangan asyik sendiri, belajarlah berbagi;  Irfan enjoy your game inilah sepak-bola Asia berbeda dengan gaya salon Eropa; El “Loco” Gonzales dan teman-teman lainnya dipundak Anda semua terletak harapan pecinta sepakbola Indonesia.

Tetap jaya garudaku.