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Soccer Friday: Thailand insider Van Dijk waits for Indonesia World Cup call
Former A-League Golden Boot winner Sergio van Dijk lives in Thailand, plays for Indonesia, made his name in Australia and has been thinking about Malaysia
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ormer A-League Golden Boot winner Sergio van Dijk lives in Thailand, plays for Indonesia, made his name in Australia and has been thinking about Malaysia.
When the second round AFC World Cup draw was made in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night, the Suphanburi FC striker saw two of his worlds come together as Indonesia found itself in the same pool as Thailand. The 2007 Asian champions Iraq, Vietnam and Taiwan are the other nations in Group F.
'My first response was that it is good to face Thailand [...] that is special for me,' Van Dijk told ESPN FC. 'My being in Thailand is a plus for me [to earn selection], but it would be a strange feeling to play against them.'
The draw caused mixed emotions for the Dutch-born 32-year-old whose much-travelled soccer path symbolizes the interconnecting nature of today's international soccer.
He's earned five caps for the nation of his mother since making his debut in 2013 when playing for Persib Bandung in the Indonesia Super League.
A few months earlier, he'd given up the stability of the A-League ' he played five years with Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United ' to venture into Southeast Asia in the hope of building an international career.
But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. After Indonesia flopped at December's AFF Suzuki Cup where the team failed to progress beyond the group stages, Van Dijk and Uruguay-born forward Cristian Gonzales bore substantial criticism. Some have questioned the value of naturalizing foreign talent like Van Dijk, who hails from Assen, in the northeastern part of the Netherlands.
Van Dijk never dreamed that he would end up in Asia as he came up through the ranks of FC Groningen and aimed at building a big European career.
'You think, 'After this I want to play for Ajax or PSV and then Chelsea or Barcelona.' But that doesn't happen to everyone,' he said.
He arrived at ambitious Suphanburi last year after a short stint with Sepahan in the Iran Pro League following a season in Indonesia. The club, 110 kilometers north of Bangkok, has made an unbeaten start to the 2015 Thai Premier League season under AFC Champions League winning coach Sergio Farias.
Van Dijk has already carved out a good understanding with fellow imports Andre Luis (Brazil) and Carmelo Gonzalez (Spain), showing flashes of the form that won him the 2010-11 A-League Golden Boot with Adelaide United.
He has scored six goals in 21 league games, including two in seven matches this season.
'It took a while, but I can say now that I have adapted to Thai football after arriving last July,' he said. 'It's hard to change country and culture. In Australia, it is physical and strong, but in Thailand it is based more on technique, quite similar to Indonesia where the whole country seems to be football mad.'
Van Dijk admitted that his experience in Australia established his reputation after arriving at Brisbane Roar as a 25-year-old from the Dutch second tier. He had impressed Roar scouts with his left-footed finesse and ability to play as a target man in a trial game.
He joined Adelaide United a year after their surprising run to the 2008 AFC Champions League final, but represented the Reds in two campaigns at regional level. His debut for the South Australian club came as it beat the reigning Asian champions, the Pohang Steelers, in February 2010. A month later, he scored his first goal as Adelaide stunned China's Shandong Luneng away from home. Suddenly, Asia was on high alert about the bald Dutch import with Indonesian roots.
The high point was the 2010-11 season with Adelaide when his 16 goals earned him the A-League Golden Boot, following in the footsteps of internationals Shane Smeltz and Archie Thompson.
Van Dijk said it was difficult to leave Australia and keeps contact with former teammates Dario Vidosic (Switzerland), Jon McKain (Malaysia) and Massimo Murdocca (Melbourne City).
This week, the Songkran festival ' Thai New Year ' didn't stop Van Dijk and Suphaburi from stepping up their training for Sunday's Toyota League Cup game against regional league side, Pattani.
And, of course, his adopted nation ' and the tantalizing Group F for Russia 2018 ' will never be far from his thoughts.
'If I get selected or not, that is up to the coach and his vision, but I am always ready to help,' he said.
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Jason Dasey is senior editor of ESPN FC, Indonesia's most popular English language soccer website with a new SE Asia edition and a daily Indonesian language TV show on NET. Twitter: @JasonDasey
