SEA GAMES 2011: SKY-HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM INDONESIAN FANS

JAKARTA (19 Nov 2011) – The expectations from the Indonesian fans have rocketed well beyond the stratosphere ahead of today’s SEA Games football semifinals.

The fans are already celebrating Indonesia’s dominance of the SEA Games and the fact that they will be crowned the overall champions for the first time in 15 years. But to all of them, the overall win will mean little if Indonesia does not claim the most coveted prize of the biennial Games, the football gold.

Indonesia last won the SEA Games in 1997 when they were hosts but the last time they bagged the football gold medal was way back in 1991 in Manila.

It’s just been too long and the fans are hoping for a change this time around. The majority of the media here have reported that Indonesia are just two wins away from the gold but that’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.

Vietnam, runners-up in the last three editions of the SEA Games, are fed-up of playing the bridesmaid and have vowed to make it count this year. And they are not about to allow Indonesia t stand in their way.

For the record, Vietnam defeated Brunei, Laos, Timor Leste, Philippines and were held by Myanmar.

For Indonesia on the other hand, the defeat to Malaysia was their first in 17 matches since they set-up camp. Coac Rahmad Darmawan will have to do his best to raise the spirits of his players and he does not have much time left to do so.

He said his players had put the loss to Malaysia behind then and were aware of what they had to do against Vietnam. He also warned his charges to keep their cool and not lose their heads. “It could make the difference tonight,” the coach said.

In the many TV talk shows with call-ins form fans, the mood is similar, they are all expecting victory tonight and again in two days in the final. Nothing less than victory will appease them which places the home side under immense pressure to defeat Vietnam tonight.

SEA GAMES 2011 SEMI-FINALS FIXTURES