C

ristian Gonzales’ hat trick saw Arema FC claim the 2017 President’s Cup trophy after bombarding surprise finalist Pusamania Borneo 5-1 in the final round on Sunday.

Arema immediately took control of the first half, showing some teeth when Hanif Sjahbandi hit Pusamania’s Wawan Hendrawan’s net in the 30th minute at the Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, Bogor, West Java.

The Singo Edan (Mad Lion) then benefitted from an own-goal by Pusamania’s Michael Orah in the 37th minute.

Not even slowing down, Malang-based Arema went goal-frenzy as top scorer Cristian Gonzales in the 42nd minute secured a solid 3-0 lead in the first half.

The party was not over in the second half, as Cristian turned into an unstoppable net-breaker with two more goals in the 53rd and 64th.

Pusamania tried to catch up through Firli Apriansyah’s header at the 69th, but it finally ended with a 5-1 victory for Arema.

Arema, runner-up in the 2016 Indonesian Soccer Championship, was powered by 18 of its best men for Sunday’s anticipated final, news agency Antara reported.

The Malang-based club of East Java had been named a favorite to win its first pre-season President’s Cup, especially when 2015 champion Persib Bandung was defeated by Pusamania Borneo in the semifinals. Persib finished the 2017 edition in third place after trashing Semen Padang 1-0 in Saturday’s bout.

Arema began its 2017 title campaign with a strong foundation, surging to leadership in Group 2 during the group stage from Feb. 4 to 19. The team collected a total of seven points from two wins out of three group matches.

In the quarterfinals, Arema outwitted Sriwijaya FC 1-0. Its solid performance continued in the semifinals, as it knocked out Semen Padang in a 5-3 aggregate win.

Arema’s Cristian Gonzales sealed the top scorer title with a total of 11 goals throughout the tournament.

Meanwhile, Pusamania Borneo was the underdog in the tournament, yet stunned 2016 President’s Cup holder Persib in the semifinals.

Pusamania nailed a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the semis after receiving endless support from the home crowd in the match held at Segiri Stadium in Samarinda of East Kalimantan in front of around 12,000 spectators.

In the semis’ second leg, which was witnessed by around 25,000 people at Persib’s Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Pusamania managed to hold Persib 2-1 in 90 minutes, which led to 3-3 on aggregate. Pusamania was then awarded with the final spot after leading 5-3 in penalties.

The 2017 cup, inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, was the second edition of the Indonesian President’s Cup soccer championship, which is hosted by the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI).

The 2017 championship became a means of testing the new league rules by the PSSI before being used in the upcoming top national league, Liga 1.