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Editorial: Hendri, the 12th player
Hendri Mulyadi was not on the list of players for the Indonesia–Oman qualifying match for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup on Wednesday evening
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endri Mulyadi was not on the list of players for the Indonesia–Oman qualifying match for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup on Wednesday evening. He is not even a professional soccer player. Coach Benny Dolo doesn’t know him. Neither did the thousands of Indonesians at the stadium and the millions watching on TV.
But his audacity in taking to the pitch in the middle of the match has become the social networking buzz on Facebook and Twitter, while newspapers plastered his picture — both his unflattering tackle by security officers and his chase by the flatfoots — on their front and sports pages.
In his mind, perhaps, Hendri merely did what any 12th player would have done — unfortunately in the wrong way. Given the chance, other fans at Bung Karno Stadium might have done the same, except that they still had enough wits about them to not interfere in a match in progress. Despite his regret over his misconduct, Hendri was praised by many. Some expressed their disappointment that he actually failed to score, although he did manage to dribble the ball to the Omani goal — something our national, professional footballers failed to do.
“I was very disappointed with our team’s performance because it has never won. The team has either been defeated or it has tied,” he said after his arrest.
Hendri claimed he only wanted Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) officials to introspect.
“I want Indonesia to have players like [Lionel] Messi,” he said, referring to the Argentine who was named both World and European Player of the Year in 2009.
Indonesia is not the only country that dreams of having super strikers like Messi, currently playing for FC Barcelona. But Indonesia has to realize its place at the regional level.
The failure to qualify for the Asian Cup only lengthens the list of flops for the national team. During the Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos, in December, the team failed to make it past the group stage, losing all its matches. The result — the poorest since its inaugural participation at SEA Games in 1977 — was a shock to soccer fans here, participation in the 2-0 defeat to host Laos.
Many have urged the PSSI to start its organizational reform, but to no avail. Calls for chairman Nurdin Halid to step down only ended in his being re-elected. Foreign coaches came and went; none helped Indonesia improve.
Many have raised the same old question: What’s wrong with our soccer team?
Hendri had the answer: “We only have BP [Bambang Pamungkas], who’s getting older,” referring to the 29-year-old star striker.
Soccer is undoubtedly the favorite sport in Indonesia. But we are talking about the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga, not the Indonesian Super League or Copa competitions.
We are more familiar with names like Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney.
The PSSI has set itself a mission impossible to host the 2022 World Cup. With lack of talents, abysmal competition results and allegations of entrenched corruption within the organization, the PSSI should better be focused on improving the existing problems.
As the 12th player, the public plays an important role in a soccer match. Their cheers and boos show which side they root for. Until the PSSI does something to lift Indonesia’s performance at the international stage, let’s hope there are more Hendris who can vent our frustrations over our soccer team.
