Post Bahrain Match Notes

Me and maybe millions fellow compatriots have just proud of being Indonesian for last night and today, which were quite rare lately. The Indonesian National Team a.k.a Garuda have a splendid performance on the picth against Bahrain on the opening match for Group D in Asian Cup 2007. Nike endorsed them (though we have Adidas did it in the past), at somewhat cool jerseys, which ten reds battling against opponent. We're the host of multinational football championship, for the first time in years. And actually we won in the first fixture (though we've won in the same occassion at 2004 edition)!.

But still, when you're talking about national pride, nowadays, sports (in this time: football) brought a lot more to hang on rather than all of those experts and politician blurbed in the TV lately. Our football team simply struck Bahrain 2-1, and came out as a winner on a rare ocassion. When Garuda did their job, all of us Indonesian suddenly came out with no longer inferior feeling among other nations. We feel now at the same level, at least with Bahrainese.

Now I understand what Indonesian Youth have achieved on 1928 when they bound hundreds of races and origins in a nation called Indonesia through homeland and language. And now in 2007, yet again, we're bounded in a fate that Papuans, Acehnese, Bataknese, Sundanese, Batavian, Javanese, Makkassarense, Manadonese, or any other 'neses' are actually took the same souls, which are red and white. At least in football terms. You could see it in Elie, Bambang, Panggabean, Jendri, and the rest of Garuda squad. They have done their business, and now it's ours to reflect this unionship at a daily basis. However, we should've been proud of our local attention. They've commited to deliver such massive supports, able to thrill anyone else' spine to hear "Indonesia Raya" sang out loudly by seventy thousands of people!!! From sometimes, I felt lack of nationality and patriotism, getting sick with all of those "dirtiness" my fellow countrymen have done in a serial disasters, corruption, criminals, etc. But those men under jerseys with Garuda emblem in their chest have turn it around. They gave hope, dreams and happiness to this poor nation. Something that we all need badly these days...

Thanks lads...you've done GREAT. Go Garuda, Go!

PS: When the whistle had blown, I've came out instantly to the Nike official store to buy those Indonesian official replica [wore on the photo]. The original jersey costs Rp. 600.000,- and the replica "only" costs Rp. 400.000,-. Slightly diferent in fabrics, with FITDry on the expensive one and regular polyester on the latter. But they both share the same design.