[Brian Swartz]

** I haven't played much recently for various reasons, current game date is the middle of December 2017, so we're just over two years behind now. I wanted to get things more caught up anyway.

10.11 @ PS Biak Numfor. And we're off. Lots of questions. Are we good enough to compete, or was last year's magical run a one-off? Can we create enough turnovers at this level to effectively counterattack? Is the club about to be sold and, if so, will they even keep me around?

Am I ever going to stop asking stupid questions and just get to the game already?

We start with what I think will be our top lineup this year:

GK: T.M. Syarif
D: Kombo/Patay/Muda/Saragih(unchanged from last year)
M: Herlan/Yarangga/Saputra(also unchanged)
A: Sutanto/Bayhaqi/Yogi(Ewangin coming off the bench now, and probably Akbar as well once he's back).

Bayhaqi's first year as a regular starter, and our new keeper Syarif are the biggest things that are different.

We're as ready as we can be, looked good at the end of preseason in the friendlies, and are better prepared tactically than either of the previous two seasons. Time to get it on. This is the first of four games to start us off in October. Since we're picked dead last, I imagine we'll be underdogs against everybody: today PSBN are only slight 5-4 favorites though.

3' -- Didn't take us long to concede a fairly dangerous attacking move and a corner, with Muda making the key header to defend it. Still, we're definitely on the back foot here.

4' -- Two more corners, no shots yet but I'm already nervous.

5' -- Angled shot from Prasetyo, Syarif pushes it away fairly easily.

8' -- We've had precious little possession so far, but work the triangle to perfection. Yogi leads into the area, Bayhaqi runs onto it at the edge of the box, the keeper has no chance from that range. We take the lead on the road 1-0!

10' -- Wow. They push it up the left and we take it away, Sutanto goes up the gut to Yogi who outmaneuvers two defenders and their keeper to get an angled shot on an open net. 2-0, and I'm rubbing my eyes to make sure I'm really seeing this. 2-0

13' -- They try the same thing again, Saragih takes it away again. Sutanto feeds it to him on the right side, he's in for a one-on-one ... blocked away! You can't have em all, but he's the quickest to the rebound and easily puts it in the half-open net!

3-0!!! Is this really happening??

15' -- I'm convinced that these guys really suck. Another counter and we almost get a great shot about three times as their defense nearly hands Sutanto the ball at the edge of the box before clearing it. Less than a minute later, cross by Saragih, batted up in the air by the keeper, Sutanto nudges it in. 4-0. What a joke this match is!!! I think that one would have gone in by itself actually after seeing the replay, so really he stole a goal from Saragih in a sense.

19' -- Great pass from Kombo sets up Sutanto angled on the left, into the side. That was a very makeable shot too. They still have more possession than we do, but that's been a moot point for a while now.

25' -- Syarif's turn to bobble a ball but Muda is there to put it out for a corner. Either they have started playing better or we are on autopilot.

31' -- Sutendro blasts one after a poor clearance, defense was still in good position and a solid job by Syarif to block it wide.

45' -- A long kick by Syarif gets all the way through to Bayhaqi who has his shot blocked away. We retain it, but cant get clear for another look.


HT -- They actually were the better team the majority of the time, but for those 10-15 minutes when they weren't, we utterly eviscerated them. I tell them they've done a great job and then put in Faizal and Priyono, since we are hardly going to have a better chance to put them on the pitch than when up by four at the half.


53' -- We're starting to assert ourselves more after spending the beginning of the half on defense again. Priyono gets a look straight on, tries a deft lob but Santoso just gets a hand to it.

57' -- Sutanto to Yogi to Priyono on the counter, has to pause to set himself as the pass was a bit off target, then puts it well wide. He's young.

60' -- Oh wow. Long kick from Syarif, goes all the way down to Santoso who bobbles it. Nobody is close except Yogi and a defender, Yogi gets to it with a header ... and isn't even close to the goal. That was a freaking gift, and he blew it, which would really tick me off if we weren't ruling this match.

69' -- Saragih with a ridiculous header that sets up Priyono, but he can't control it well enough and it's only a corner for us.

78' -- Prasetyo on for Muda. A couple minutes later, Herlan's free kick bounces of the keeper, and Prasetyo gets there first. 5-0

84' -- It's a shooting gallery. Priyono is blocked no less than three times in succession, each one closer to the goal, then Herlan from the other side misses just wide.


FT -- A 5-0 shellacking on the road, easily the most impressive single win of my coaching career, though obviously not as important as the Second Phase stuff last season. Sutanto takes player of the match, with Yogi and Saragih putting in strong arguments as well. Only disappointing thing was Priyono who should have added another couple of goals to the count, frankly. We outshot them 19-3 despite losing possession(56-44). Strange one.

I'm definitely feeling much better about our chances of staying up just now. Press asked about Sutanto leaving(not going to happen) and the transfer embargo(not in my control) among other things.