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‘Gol Safee meyakinkan saya’


Malaysia berjaya menjuarai Piala Suzuki AFF 2010 buat kali pertama selepas menang agregat 4-2 pada perlawanan akhir kedua antara Malaysia menentang Indonesia di Stadium Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, malam tadi. – utusan/Shahril Azman Zain



JAKARTA – Pengendali skuad negara, K. Rajagobal mengakui dia sudah terbayang kejuaraan selepas jaringan gol yang dilakukan oleh Safee Sali pada minit ke-53 kerana amat sukar buat Indonesia bangkit mendapatkan lima jaringan dalam tempoh baki perlawanan yang tinggal di separuh masa kedua.
Katanya, selain memberikan kelebihan gol di tempat lawan, ia mengundang rasa keyakinan buat pemain pertahanan mudanya untuk bertahan membendung asakan bertali arus tuan rumah.

‘‘Walaupun Indonesia cuba bangkit selepas mendapatkan gol penyamaan pada minit ke-71, saya masih menaruhkan kepercayaan kepada para pemain untuk mempertahankan kelebihan yang kita ada.
‘‘Selepas gol kedua Indonesia, saya sedar masa sudah semakin suntuk buat mereka dan kejuaraan hampir pasti dirangkul oleh kita,” katanya pada sidang media selepas perlawanan akhir kedua di Stadium Gelora Bung Karno, semalam.

Tambah Rajagobal, dia sedar Indonesia akan mempamerkan perwatakan agresif sebaik wisel perlawanan dimulakan dan memberitahu pemainnya supaya memberi lebih perhatian ketika bertahan pada awal 45 minit separuh masa pertama.

‘‘Saya berpesan kepada pemain, sekiranya mereka kehilangan bola, mereka mesti cepat merampas kembali dan bekerja secara berpasukan.

‘‘Kami dapat bertahan dengan baik dan berharap melakukan serang balas untuk melakukan jaringan.
‘‘Sekiranya penalti pada minit ke-18 dapat disempurnakan oleh Indonesia, saya rasa ia mungkin memberikan semangat buat tuan rumah untuk mendapatkan gol namun saya puji semangat yang dipamerkan oleh pemain-pemain muda saya,” katanya.

Media Indonesia juga sempat bertanyakan apakah formula kejayaan yang dilakukan olehnya selepas kalah besar 1-5 pada perlawanan pertama.

Tanpa berselindung, Rajagobal berkata rahsia kejayaannya kerana memberikan kepercayaan kepada pemain mudanya dan menganggap kekalahan pertama itu sebagai proses kematangan. – Utusan

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