Milla Prepares 22 Soccer Players To Face Cambodia, Puerto Rico

JAKARTA, June 8 (Antara) - Chief coach of Indonesia's under-22 soccer team (Timnas U-22), Luis Milla, has prepared 22 players to play against the squads of Cambodia and Puerto Rico immediately. For the FIFA international friendly matches, the Timnas U-22 will face Cambodia's team on June 8, 2017, in Phnom Penh and Puerto Rico's squad on Tuesday (June 13) at the Maguwoharjo stadium in Sleman, Yogyakarta. The players who are called up for the two friendly matches are Kurnia Meiga Hermansyah and Satria Tama Hardianto as goalkeepers. Defenders include Gavin Kwan Adsit, Andi Setyo Nugroho, Fachrudin Wahyudi Aryanto, Bagas Adi Nugroho, Ricky Fajrin Saputra, M. Rezaldi Hehanusa, and Osvaldo Haay Ardiles. The midfielders are Muhammad Hargianto, Stefano Lilipaly, Bayu Pradana, Hanif Abdurrauf Sjahbandi, Gian Zola Nasrulloh Nugraha, Irfan Bachdim, Febri Hariyadi, Miftahul Hamdi, Septian David Maulana, and Saddil Ramdani. At the striker's position are Yabes Roni Malaifani, Ahmad Nur Hardianto, and Marinus Mariyanto. The senior national team players who will join the Timnas U-22 squad are Stefano Lilipaly, Irfan Bachdim, Kurnia Meiga, Fachruddin, and Bayu Pradana. Facing the Cambodian national team in particular, Milla believed that the Indonesian squad was ready to play against the Cambodian team in the trial match, which will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Thursday (June 8). According to him, the Timnas had already undergone two exercises that had run well in Cambodia. "Cambodia is a quality team with good pressing and attacking tactics. However, we also have a good team which is growing, "the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) quoted Milla as saying on Wednesday. In the meantime, PSSI started the online sale of tickets on Thursday (June 1) before the match between the soccer teams of Indonesia and Puerto Rico. Prices for 25 thousand tickets on sale range from Rp100 thousand for the western tribune, Rp35 thousand for the east tribune, and Rp30 thousand for the north tribune of the stadium. It will be an opportunity for the Timnas U-22 to move up from its current 175th position in the FIFA rankings, Bima Sakti, assistant to the chief coach stated recently. The international friendly match against Puerto Rico will be broadcast live on MNC's private television. Indonesia named Milla as coach of its national football team after agreeing to a two-year contract. The 50-year old coach replaced Alfred Riedl from Austria after the Timnas emerged as the runner-up at the 2016 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup. Milla has also clarified the absence of Evan Dimas and Hansamu Yama as the former players of the Timnas U-19, as well as Ezra Walian, the naturalized players who participated in the training camp (TC) in Bali some time ago. "Owing to the activities of Dimas and Yama at the club that are quite high, let alone Dimas who slightly injured his ankle yesterday, the coach decided not to call them to join the Timnas," Bima Sakti, the coach assistant, quoted Milla as saying. In its trial match against Bali United club on Friday (May 26) at the "I Wayan Dipta" in Gianyar, Bali, the Timnas U-22 lost 0-1. In the first round, the Timnas looked stunning and made the Bali United's defense troubled. The Timnas created a number of chances, including through hard kicking by Hamdi at the 7th minute, but Hamdi's kick sped up over the crossbar of Bali United. Another opportunity (to score the goal) was also created by the Timnas player Marinus Mariyanto at the 36th minute, but it was pushed by the Bali United's goalkeeper Alfon Sius Kelvan. In the second half, Bali United's player Syilvano scored a goal at the 68th minute, after receiving a mature pass from Irfan Bachdim and outwitting the Indonesian national team's goalkeeper Moch Dicky. Left behind one goal, Timnas tried to apply pressure to the heart of Bali United's defense. Evidently, Timnas got the opportunity through Paulo Sitanggang in the 54th minute, but his kick passed on the crossbar of Bali United. Other opportunities were also obtained by the Timnas' players Rezaldi Hehanusa at the 60th minute and Ezra Waliam at the 85th minute. In his comment over the Timnas U-22 squad's performance, Milla stated that his squad had progressed, but there was a small issue in finalizing (making the goals).