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Asian Games 2018: Revamping Indonesia women’s soccer can’t wait
Trial and error: Indonesia’s goalkeeper Vera Lestari (center) tries to defy South Korea’s Jang Chang in the women’s soccer Group A match at the Gelora Sriwijaya stadium in Jakabaring Sports City, Palembang, South Sumatra, on Aug
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rial and error: Indonesia’s goalkeeper Vera Lestari (center) tries to defy South Korea’s Jang Chang in the women’s soccer Group A match at the Gelora Sriwijaya stadium in Jakabaring Sports City, Palembang, South Sumatra, on Aug. 21. Inexperienced Indonesia struggled in the group stage, exiting the 2018 Asian Games. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
Despite a 12-0 drubbing by South Korea on Tuesday, the Indonesian women’s soccer team received a standing ovation from hundreds of home fans at Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra, as they walked past the exit gate with their heads down.
The defeat denied the national team any chances of advancing to the knockout stage, as in the previous match on Aug. 19, it fell 4-0 to Chinese Taipei. To progress, the inexperienced team had to beat pretournament favorite South Korea, which is second to impossible.
“We still love you,” screamed some of the fans as the national players waved their final goodbye.
Losing as host is a bitter pill to swallow. But behind the gloomy atmosphere that filled the stadium on Tuesday was a lesson: never turn up for a competition without ample preparation.
Despite having the drive to defend the nation’s pride, Indonesia’s women’s soccer team was barely ready for the Asian Games, as coach Satia Bagdja Ijatna has acknowledged.
“We practiced for just in five months after a three-year vacuum,” Satia said.
The training period was far too short for an event as significant as the Asian Games.
As a comparison, the Maldives — which Indonesia defeated 6-0 — had trained for four years before heading to Indonesia.
Furthermore, Satia said some of his team members were used to playing futsal rather than soccer. They were recruited because Indonesia lacked sufficient soccer talent in the face of the Asian Games.
“Even scouting for talent is a challenge for us,” Satia recalled.
The one-sided match against South Korea spoke for itself. The Koreans kept their Indonesian opponents under pressure from the onset, netting their first goal after just four minutes. The team led its host by five goals after the first half. Throughout the match, goalkeeper Yoon Young-geul did not even appear to break a sweat.
Indonesia’s early exit should have been anticipated by the Soccer Association of Indonesian (PSSI), given the team’s poor running in a series of warm-up matches. In July, the national team was outclassed by Thailand, which scored a 6-0 win in their ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women Championship match. And in May, Indonesia was humiliated 13-0 by Vietnam in a friendly match.
Indonesia’s lack of preparation in the Asian Games women’s soccer competition contradicts the public’s high expectations for the national team to finish among the top 10 in the medals tally. To live up to that mounting hope, Indonesia would have to win at least 16 gold medals.
Looking forward, Satia is determined to revamp the national team. He said Indonesia could learn from Southeast Asian neighbor Thailand, which it could match back in the 1990s but is now a major soccer force in the region. Thailand has qualified for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
“Thailand has improved significantly,” Satia said.
To build a strong team, the PSSI has to reinstate the women’s soccer league and encourage the formation of more clubs as main suppliers of players. Regular competitions will make it easier for the PSSI to scout talent for the national team.
“There is a lot of talent all over the country, including in the eastern part of Indonesia,” said national team goalkeeper Noffince Boma, who is from the easternmost province of Papua.
The PSSI is aware of the need to organize a regular women’s soccer competition. PSSI secretary general Ratu Tisha Destria said the soccer body would hold a league in 2019 with the purpose of scouting female soccer talents and reintroducing women’s soccer to the public.
She said the PSSI would communicate with soccer clubs now participating in the Indonesian Super League to chart out a possible collaboration in organizing the much-awaited women’s league.
“We will communicate with the clubs who want to invest in this initiative,” Ratu said on Tuesday.
The PSSI’s commitment to improving women’s soccer is a positive sign for the sport in Indonesia. But the public and soccer fans will not rest with such pledge.
If the PSSI fails to realize its promise, fans will only see their women’s team suffer more humiliating defeats.
