The 6th edition of Indonesia Super League (ISL) has reached half-season.
There are some changes have been made to the league system this season. Instead of the usual single-zone full season system with 18 participating clubs, the 2014 ISL applies ‘old but new’ 2-zone system. Before the ISL era, the Indonesian League competition used the same system for several seasons. This year, there are 22 clubs (somewhat) geographically divided into West and East zones. Each zone consists of 11 clubs. Top 4 clubs from each zone will compete in another 2 groups of Big 8 consist of crossovers from both zones. Then it will come to an end with semi-finals and final(s).
There are also some improvements being made this season. One of them is regarding TV broadcast. Unlike past seasons, ANTv and TVOne are no longer in charge of broadcasting ISL matches. The responsibility was given to MNC Group for free-to-air broadcasts, and Kompas Media Group for pay-based broadcasts. That’s right, for the first time in the history of Indonesian football, one has to subscribe and pay some money to watch local competition on TV. To make it more interesting, most of the matches this season were being (and will be) broadcasted from the pay-based one!
Some problems still occur, though. Classic ones like late payment, players’ unsportsmanlike behavior, controversial decisions by the referee, etc., but at least there’s progress being made. It certainly takes time for people and for the league’s operator to get used to it.
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| source: ligaindonesia.co.id |
Mid-Season Table
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Table 1.1 - 2014 ISL Tables up to Mid-Season Break
click on image to enlarge |
Not much of a surprise in West Zone as Arema leads comfortably with 7-point gap ahead of Persib. Arema is considerably the best team of the season, judging by points collected, as well as their goal scoring and defense records. Persijap, on the other hand, is having a problematic season as they are sprawled at the bottom with only 4 points. They did what Manchester United have done by sacking Raja Isa and appointed Evaldo Silva as player-manager.
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Figure 1.1 - 2014 ISL West Zone Mid-Season Table Movement
click on image to enlarge |
East Zone has more interesting progress. Mitra Kukar and Persela lost in their respective first matches, but they ended up on the top accordingly at half-season break. Defending champions Persipura took the 3rd spot. Still unbeaten but lost many points on draws. The top 4 of this zone have only 1 point separating each of them at mid-season break. At the bottom, Bantul’s Persiba currently minds the relegation door with only 5 points. The task to salvation would be much harder if they fail to unify their brawling supporters, which caused them the right to play at their traditional Sultan Agung Stadium for a couple of occasions.
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Figure 1.2 - 2014 ISL East Zone Mid-Season Table Movement
click on image to enlarge |
Goal Records
Each zones have played 55 matches up until mid-season break. From 110 matches in total, there are 287 goals scored, 144 from West and 143 from East. Each zones have 18 goals scored from the spot, making it 36 goals from penalty kick in total. Each zones also have 2 own goals, making it 4 in total. All items (West, East, Overall) have a good number of 2.6 goals/game average.
126 different players have scored, 67 players from West, 59 players from East.
43 local players from West have scored 79 goals, while 35 local players from East have scored 72 goals.
24 different foreign players from each zones have contributed on the score sheets. 63 goals came from West foreigners, while East foreigners netted 68 goals.
Emmanuel Kenmogne (Cameroon, Persebaya) tops the top scorer list with 9 goals, followed by Ilija Spasojevic (Montenegro, Putra Samarinda). Among the top list, only Samsul Arif (Arema) who is a local born with 6 goals.
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| Table 2.1 - 2014 ISL Top Scorers' List up to Mid-Season Break |
Kenmogne also recorded consecutive goal scoring streak when he fired 6 goals in 4 consecutive matches. Djibril Coulibaly (Persib) also scored consecutively in 4 matches, but only netted 5 goals.
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Emmanuel 'Pacho' Kenmogne, 2014 ISL Top Scorer at Mid-Season Break
source: beritajatim.com |
Lukas Mandowen (Persipura) has made 2 records in terms of goal scoring this season. He scored the very first goal of the season against Persela. He also marked the fastest goal of the season when he scored against Persebaya, 19 seconds after kick-off. He could also put his name as the shortest player to score a header with that goal. Because he's only 156 cm tall!
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Lukas Mandowen, Scored the First Goal of the 2014 ISL
source: ligaindonesia.co.id |
Arema’s 26 goals put them as the most productive team of the half-season, followed by Persebaya with 19 goals. The Singo Edan also recorded 2 largest winning margin records when they bested Persik and Gresik United with 5 goals to nothing.
Persipura v Persiba Bantul clash produced 7 goals, more than any other matches, which Persipura won 5-2.
7 players have scored hat-trick up to half- season, and put themselves as co-holders of most goals scored by a player in a single match, namely: Emmanuel Kenmogne, Ilija Spasojevic (Putra Samarinda), Bijahil Chalwa and Srdan Lopicic (Persela), Boaz Solossa (Persipura), Samsul Arif and Herman Dzumafo Epandi (Mitra Kukar).
Attendance Records
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Table 3.1 - 2014 ISL Attendance Records by Club up to Mid-Season Break
click on image to enlarge |
Matches in the East Zone have attracted 262,130 (avg. 4,766) people. West Zone doubled the number up to 563,315 (avg. 10,242) and made it 825,445 (avg. 7,504) in total. Zonal gap in attendance is mostly caused by the fact that some clubs in the East zone have to play their home matches away from home. PSM, Persiram, and Perseru have to wander to East Java because their stadiums did not meet the requirements. Attendance on their wandering matches have never reached 1,000. Also, as mentioned before, Persiba Bantul had to play 2 home matches at an Air Force Academy’s field, where only few people bothered to come.
Persija, quite surprisingly, surpassed usual crowd-attractors Persib and Arema this half-season. From 5 home matches, Persija got 114,131 (avg. 22,826) attendance record, about 3,000+ more than Persib’s 110,743 (avg. 22,149). Meanwhile, Arema failed to reach 100,000+ attendance record albeit their positive performance. Only 76,871 (avg. 15,374) people occupied the Kanjuruhan Stadium in their first 5 home matches.
Persija v Arema match at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on May 4 recorded most attendance with 39,880.
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JakManias at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
source: agent108.biz |
Disciplinary Records
Yellow Cards
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Table 4.1 - 2014 ISL Yellow Card Recapitulation by Club and Players' Status
up to Mid-Season Break
click on image to enlarge |
There were 422 yellow cards pulled out from the referees’ pocket from 110 matches in total (avg. 3.79 yellow card/ match).
In West Zone, 198 yellow cards (avg. 3.6) were awarded to 119 different players, 95 locals and 24 foreigners. Those 95 local players received 156 yellow cards, and the 24 foreigners got 42 bookings. 6 players from this zone have received 4 yellow cards by their names only, namely: Hariono and Tantan (Persib), Fatkhul Manan (Persijap), Lucky Wahyu (Barito Putera), Vendry Mofu (Sriwijaya FC), and Gusripen Effendi (Persita).
East zone’s yellow card record is worse than the West. 224 yellow cards (avg. 4.07) were given to 132 different players, 109 locals and 27 foreigners. 173 yellow cards were given to the locals, while 51 were for foreigners. Last season’s most yellow card record co-holder Elvis Herawan (Persiram) faces a serious rival this season. While Elvis only got 4 yellow cards, Tony Roy Ayomi (Perseru) already collected 5, more than any other players.
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Tony Roy Ayomi, 5 Yellow Cards Already
source: majalahselangkah.com |
Gerald Pangkali (Persipura) received the first yellow card this season on the curtain raiser match against Persela.
Persita v Persijap and Persela v Persiram matches recorded most booking in a single match. Both matches have 9 players booked.
Red Cards
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Table 4.2 - 2014 ISL Red Card Recapitulation by Club and Players' Status
up to Mid-Season Break
click on image to enlarge |
Up until half-season break, there are 24 expulsions (avg. 0.22 red card/ match) made by the referee. West Zone recorded 15 red cards (avg. 0.27), while East Zone has 9 (avg. 0.22).
9 red cards for locals and 6 for foreigners in the West Zone, all awarded to different players. East zone recorded sending offs of 7 locals and 2 foreigners.
Each of Gresik United, Sriwijaya FC, and Persiram have 3 red cards, more than any other teams this half-season.
Sriwijaya FC got 2 of their players sent off (Ahmad Sumardi and Vali Kenari) on a 1-5 thrashing against Persik. While Gresik United received 3 red cards in 3 consecutive matches (Jimmy Suparno, vs Pelita Bandung Raya (4/23); Shohei Matsunaga vs Persija (4/29); and Otavio Dutra vs Semen Padang (5/3)).
The first red card of the season was given to Hariono, when Persib faced Persita.
Clean Sheet Records
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Table 5.1 - 2014 ISL Clean Sheet Record up to Mid-Season Break
click on image to enlarge |
Only 4 players managed to score against Arema up to half-season. Ahmad Noviandani (Persijap) beat Kurnia Meiga for the first time for a consolation goal, while Persib’s Coulibaly Djibril, Firman Utina, and Konate Makan brought Singo Edan down with a remarkable comeback. Arema went through the other 8 matches without conceding any goals.
Persik and Persiba Bantul are the only 2 teams with no clean sheet record this half-season.
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the author gathered and processed all data on this post from ligaindonesia.co.id
yellow card = 1 point/yellow card
2nd yellow card = 2 points/2nd yellow card
direct red card = 3 points/red card
games of suspension (player) = as many as banned games
games of suspension (club's personnel) = 5 points/banned games
audience behaviour = determined by amount of fine
closure of stadium = 10 points/closure of stadium
: Lucas Andersen 13', Micke van der Hoorn 16', Lerin Duarte 70'
: Vladimir Vujovic 4', Tantan 33'