Sriwijaya Puts Game Face On for Preseason
Jakarta. Perennial title contender Sriwijaya FC has vowed to take this Sunday’s semifinal clash against Persela Lamongan in the preseason SCM Cup seriously as it seeks to kick off the upcoming Indonesian Super League season with a positive mind-set.
The Palembang, South Sumatra-based side, the ISL champion in the 2011-2012 season, has made some promising improvements in the off-season after failing to make the playoffs last year, and is a favorite to lift the trophy this year, says coach Benny Dollo, newly signed from Persija Jakarta.
“I know the SCM Cup is a preseason tournament, but I want my team to take the chance seriously before the ISL begins,” Benny said in Jakarta on Friday ahead of the semifinal at Sriwijaya’s own Jakabaring stadium in Palembang.
“A good result will give the players a huge advantage to boost their confidence when the league starts,” he added.
Benny said there was still room for improvement, even after the side topped its SCM Cup group with seven points from three games.
“The players need to control their performance during the match. I think my players were lacking the ability to do that during the group stage. A solid performance and teamwork is all we need on the pitch,” he said.
He hailed Persela one of the underrated sides in the preseason tournament, saying “We have to be careful about their counter-attacks because it will be very dangerous if we don’t spot them.”
Persela caretaker Didik Ludiyanto said his side, which finished runner-up to Arema Cronus in the other group, would be the underdog going into the semifinal.
“We all know that Sriwijaya is a good team. It’s a clear favorite to win the [ISL] title as it has several stars such as Titus Bonai, Ferdinand Sinaga and Raphael Maitimo,” Didik said.
“We just want to give our best performance and I hope we can do it.”
He added that he still hadn’t decided on which of four eligible foreign players he would name in the lineup against Sriwijaya.
“All of them have already shown their abilities during the group stage. Sunday’s match will be a good test for them, whether they have what it takes to be a permanent part of the squad,” Didik said.
The other semifinal will see Arema take on Persebaya Surabaya.
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