Posted on September 24, 2007
Filed Under in Indonesia, Sports | Leave a Comment
Awal yang kurang baik, namun dengan lima kemenangan berturut-turut, dan kembali ke posisi tiga besar, tampaknya United sudah perlahan-lahan kembali ke jalur awalnya, prestasi gemilang di Liga Inggris.
Tadi malam, saya dan teman-teman kantor memutuskan untuk nonton bareng Big Match minggu ini: Manchester United vs Chelsea. Kami memutuskan untuk nonton di Front Row Café Senayan. Ya memang acara nonton di café bisa dibilang agak mahal, tapi ini United melawan Chelski di Old Trafford, bung! umumnya hal ini hanya berlangsung setahun sekali, jadi saya rela untuk merogoh sejumlah kocek (meski itu hanya untuk sebuah soft-drink saja).
Kalau dipikir-pikir, ini kali pertama musim ini saya menyaksikan siaran langsung Liga Inggris. Maklum, saya di rumah menggunakan Indovision yang tidak lagi mendapat hak siar untuk menayangkan Liga Inggris, hak siar tersebut secara kasar telah direbut oleh Astro.
Manchester United bermain apik di babak pertama, kompak dan tidak canggung. Kombinasi serangan dari sayap dan through ball dari Michael Carrick membuat serangan United sangat membahayakan. Sayangnya, duet Rooney-Tevez terlihat belum padu. Tevez terkadang berdiri jauh ke belakang, sehingga Rooney sendirian berusaha menyerang di depan.
Chelsea sendiri meskipun sudah ditinggalkan “The Special One”, bermain dengan tipe dan formasi yang kurang lebih sama, bahkan mereka terlihat kurang nyaman satu dengan yang lainnya. Yang mungkin berbeda adalah dipilihnya Sheva dan Makalele sebagai starting eleven. Avram Grant sang pelatih de Facto mungkin mendapat “pesan sponsor” untuk memasukkan Sheva. Namun, Sheva (seperti biasa) tidak menghasilkan ancaman yang berarti untuk gawang United. Sheva tetap Sheva, dia kurang bagus bermain di Inggris.
Sebenarnya, menurut saya permainan kedua tim berimbang, sampai pada saat Jon Obi-Mikel dikeluarkan oleh wasit, akibat tackle berbahayanya terhadap Patrice Evra. Sejak bermain dengan 10 orang, Chelsea lebih banyak bertahan.
Tevez akhirnya membayar kepercayaan Sir Alex dengan memecah kebuntuan melalui golnya di penghujung babak pertama. Bagus lah, hal ini akan meningkatkan rasa percaya dirinya sebagai seorang striker di United.
Yang patut diperhatikan menurut saya adalah kepemimpinan wasit. Wasit Mike Dean menurut saya membuat beberapa keputusan yang lemah, seperti:
Mike Dean ini memang belakangan ini bermasalah, dan sayang sekali ia harus merusak pertarungan indah ini dengan keputusan-keputusan yang tidak perlu.
Tapi kalau dilihat keseluruhan permainan, United memang layak menang malam kemarin. (ya iyalah lo ngomong gitu, wong elo pendukung United Pat! hehe)
Posted on January 15, 2007
Filed Under Bicycle, Sports | Leave a Comment
It has been a month now since I decided to cut loose and try to go to work by bike. Here’s the background: I love to bike, But the last time I ride a bicycle was back in senior high. The reason was simple, I don’t have time. Workloads at school and some other hobbies occupy my mind to try to ride a bike again. The bike was in the attic all those years.
So now, we back in present year. The “Bike to Work” movements suddenly emerge in the early 2005. It contaminates many urban city workers. Especially those who commute. Including in my own office
Started with Mas Ari from the production division. He arrived at the office one morning, wearing a bicycle jersey and make quite impression to the other guys. After a brief Q&A session, his testimonial changes some of the guys way of thinking regarding the transports to work. Then my friend Dodi started to ride a bike to work. Until October 2006, 4 guys at the office have decided to go to work in a bike.
Me? No, at first I have yet gone undecided. Though the guys were pushing me day to day, forcing me to use a bike instead of mass transport (In this case using an “Angkot”). The reason? I guess it was concerning my hectic job. I don’t have the time to taking care a bike anymore. I once think that it would take some time and some effort to maintain a bike. Well this is true in certain (positive) way.
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Posted on December 19, 2006
Filed Under Sports, Daily Notes | 3 Comments
This is for all of us, Indonesian.
Who doesn’t know Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, or David Beckham? Who has no idea whose Jose Mourinho or Sir Alex Ferguson is? I know there are a lot of you (especially sports fan) who knows them well. For they are the football superstars from those big multi millionaire football club.
Now, do you know whom Aris Indarto, Ponaryo Astaman, Robby Darwis, Benny Dolo are? Or what is Persiba Bantul? Probably not everyone knows them. They are the football athletes from Indonesia. Yes, they are not as famous as those mentions earlier. At least, for you Indonesian sports fan, you should at least have the idea who they are.
There’s nothing wrong to be a fan of those megastars. But sometimes we are to busy worshipping them we overlook our own football start. We’re underestimating and turn our face around when we talk about the Indonesian football competition and players. Yes, the quality is very far from European competition.
But so what? Are we going to rant about this all the time? How about we find a way to change it for the better? I know you probably want to say that “Hey, take a look at our own FA, it is a mess in there I tell you”. So be it, I say, it’s not the time to whine anymore. It’s time for us, Indonesian to support our competition no matter how horrible it is.
The fans support factor is somewhat necessary. If the local football fans are growing, a positive development will certainly touch some aspects of the whole problem. Whether it’s the club or the competition itself.
Fans becoming larger then the club will grow the quality of the player and officials will increase, then the competition will get better eventually. That’s my theory on how to increase the value of football in Indonesia.
Posted on June 12, 2006
Filed Under Sports | 1 Comment
On June 10th, 2006, England National Soccer team held their first game on the 2006 World Cup against Paraguay. The eagerly awaited game was held in Frankfurt. England is hands down one of the favorites in winning this tournament. Their squad was said to be one of the best since Geoff Hursts era. The starting line-up was just same as in their warm-up game against Jamaica the week before.
From the kick off, England was looking very sharp and confident. They assault through, right from the start. On the other hand, Paraguay seems a little bit nervous in the early minutes of the game. Their defense looks very fragile against the hordes of England strikes. This early England pressure becomes a good momentum for them. In the 3rd minute, Beckham’s signature free kick was headed towards into the Paraguay own goal by Carlos Gammara, 1-0 to England. Right after this first goal, England keeps on charging the Paraguayan defense. But, some good chances from Lampard, Crouch and Owen can be neutralize by the Paraguayan substitute keeper, Aldo Bobadilla.
Posted on May 17, 2006
Filed Under Sports, Daily Notes | 2 Comments
Beberapa hari lagi, tanah perjanjian yang ditunggu-tunggu akan terealisasi. Saya akan punya tempat sendiri di dunia maya ini. Tempat pribadi, tidak hidup menumpang lagi. Namun, seperti halnya sebuah suku bangsa yang berpindah ke sebuah tempat baru, tentu mereka akan membangun sedikit demi sedikit. Sama halnya dengan web saya ini, tampaknya akan saya bangun sedikit demi sedikit. Dimulai dari catatan-catatan ini, yang saya harap dapat berguna bagi mereka yang membacanya, seperti halnya catatan ini berguna bagi diri saya sendiri.
Nanti malam, Final Liga Champions 2006! yaay! Tentu yang saya harapkan adalah drama di lapangan. Drama-drama pasti akan selalu ada pada sebuah kejuaraan sebesar ini. Namun, apakah akan seheboh tahun lalu di Istanbul? Saya rasa tidak, karena Barcelona pasti akan menang mudah (ini pernyataan subjektif, mohon dimaklumi =). Kita akan melihat dua superstar sepakbola dunia (Ronaldinho-Henry) yang akan bertarung head-to-head sebagai pertarungan pra-piala dunia. Mudah-mudahan sih mereka tidak cidera, karena kalau itu yang terjadi, itu akan menjadi mimpi buruk bagi Perancis ataupun Brazil. Jadi sebenarnya, yang saya harapkan nanti malam adalah permainan menyerang yang indah seperti halnya yang ditunjukan Liverpool dan West Ham pada final Piala FA hari Sabtu yang lalu. May the best team win! (tentunya, Barcelona!)
Kembali lagi bekerja….
