Indonesia one step closer to Asean Cup final after defeating the Philippines

Indonesia one step closer to Asean Cup final after defeating the Philippines

2010-12-17 21:48:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The Indonesian National Football team defeated the Philippines 1-0 in the first leg of the semifinal in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup on Thursday.

The Filipino squad was unable to host their 'home match' in their native country as it does not have an AFF-approved venue. Instead, they were forced to play in Jakarta's Bung Karno Stadium.

Indonesia's Jose Christian Gonzalez - originally from Uruguay - scored the match's only goal after heading a cross from Friman Utina. In what seemed to be a prolonged bounce, the ball finally hit the left goal post to make its way into the net.

A crowd of 72,000 people - including Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife - was a big and noisy factor during the competition.

"It was really noisy out there," the Philippines coach Simon McMenemy said. "Indonesia has unbelievable fans. It's an experience that's unforgettable for me."

"The 12th man - all of the fans - they pretty much helped Indonesia win tonight. I told the players where better to play football than here. It was phenomenal," he added.

Indonesia will be looking to secure their pass into the finals during the second leg, which is due on Sunday at the same stadium.

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