SEA GAMES 2011: CONSTANT PRESSURE WAS THE KEY FOR INDONESIA

JAKARTA (20 Nov 2011) – Rahmad Darmawan, the chief coach of Indonesia, said after their win over Vietnam last night that the key to their success was the constant pressure on their opponents.

Indonesia beat 2009 finalists Vietnam 2-0 to confirm their place in the final where they will take on Malaysia tomorrow evening.

Rahmad said at the post match press conference that they had to be aggressive all the way to disrupt Vietnam’s play.

“We were quick to react each time we lost the ball and that forced Vietnam to draw back and not able to execute their usual quick and fast moving attack,” said Rahmad (middle of pix).

“The Vietnamese are very good at ball positioning, so we had to be quicker with the pressing. Sure, it took a lot of hard work and discipline but the players showed plenty of that.

“And in the end, I think that we totally deserved this win to be in the final.”

Following a first half deadlock where the Indonesian frontline missed several chances, they finally opened account from Patrich Wanggai and then Titus Bonai.

The euphoria at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium was ecstatic to say the least as the crowd of more than 80,000 fans now eagerly wait for their team to take ‘revenge’ on Malaysia, whom they lost to in a group tie earlier.

“The focus now is for the players to rest properly. We will strategize for the final game,” quipped Rahmad.

SEA GAMES 2011 SEMI-FINALS FIXTURES