While – Navigating the round of 12 of the Indonesian League 2 2023/2024, PSMS Medan coach, Miftahudin Mukson carried out tactical training. This training prepares the Kinantan Chicken squad physically to face Persiraja Banda Aceh, at the Baharoeddin Siregar Stadium, Deli Serdang Regency, Saturday 6 January 2024.
In this League 2 round of 12 competition, there is a mission and target to bring PSMS Medan promotion to the Indonesian League 1 next season. Due to this, this club from the city of Medan must go through the top 12 phase as champions of Group
Ahead of hosting Persiraja, PSMS Medan continues to improve. As is known, despite qualifying for the round of 12, the ticket was obtained with great difficulty, namely finishing in third place in Group 1 League 2 this season or bottom of the three teams that advanced to the round of 12 in Group 1, along with Semen Padang (1st place). ) and Persiraja Banda Aceh (runner-up).
PSMS Medan coach, Miftahudin Mukson is aware that the challenges PSMS will face are quite tough. Therefore, Miftah, as he is known, began making various preparations.
“What is clear is that I am currently taking inventory of my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. So, later I will make tactics for training, especially in the first game, we will be at home facing Persiraja on January 6,” said Miftahudin to journalists in Medan City. Sunday 24 December 2023.
Specifically in preparation for facing Persiraja, the two previous matches played in the group stage against teams from the city of Banda Aceh were important capital. From those two matches, Coach Miftah said he had prepared tactics and strategies to maximize the home match.
“We have met (Persiraja) twice and the result is still a draw, which means it is a good lesson so that later in the first match of the Big 12 we will have a lot of additional information about the changes that our opponents will make, as well as what we will do,” explained Miftah.
Qualifying for the top 12 by collecting 17 points makes PSMS Medan the team with the lowest points collection compared to the three third-place teams in the other three groups, PSIM Yogyakarta in Group 2 collecting 21 points, Gresik United in Group 3 with 19 points, and Babel United in Group 4 collected 18 points.
However, from a statistical perspective, PSMS Medan is not that bad. Having the highest total number of shots on goal in Liga 2 this season (76 according to statistics on the official Liga 2 website), shows that PSMS is able to play an effective attack scheme, but unfortunately fails in many final solutions.
‘It’s a matter of accuracy, yes, we do attack a lot, it’s just that calm and luck are a factor. There were two times against Sriwijaya, the first round and the second round, when they hit the crossbar, they should have gone in both times. “It’s the final solution that I have to fix,” said Miftahudin again.
According to Miftah, less than two weeks before the big 12 kick-off, he and the other coaching staff will continue to sharpen the team’s preparations.
“I will speed up the tactics that I have prepared to face our three potential opponents. The point is that the way of playing will only change, the composition,” said Muftah again.
Regarding the strength of the opponents he will face, including PSIM Yogyakarta, Miftah said he was too worried. According to him, from the previous matches specifically against Semen Padang and Persiraja, he considered that the difficulties came from his own team.
“It’s not difficult, the only thing that makes it difficult is us, this is serious, only us. Individual errors occurred in our team, making us lose and our opponents were lucky,” he said.
Regarding the progress of Yoseph Ostanika ‘Nico’ Malau, who scored two goals against Sriwijaya (2-2 draw) which put PSMS Medan through to the top 12, Miftah said that the most prepared players would be fielded. However, he confirmed that he would not change the composition of the winning team in the top 12 later.
“Regarding Nico, it will be situational, I will show the most prepared players. But I will not change the winning team, in the sense that it is the winning team that we will sharpen its strengths, and we will develop its weaknesses to improve,” explained Miftah.
PSMS Medan schedule in the Round of 12 of League 2 2023/2024
-Saturday 6 January 2024, at Baharoeddin Siregar Lubukpakam at 15.00 WIB, PSMS Medan vs Persija Banda Aceh
-Friday 12 January 2024, at the Mandala Krida Stadium Yogyakarta at 15.00 WIB, PSIM Yogyakarta vs PSMS Medan
Wednesday 17 January 2024, H Agus Salim Padang, 15.00 WIB, Semen Padang FC vs PSMS Medan
Monday 22 January 2024, at Baharoeddin Siregar Lubukpakam at 15.00 WIB, PSMS Medan vs Semen Padang FC.
Saturday 27 January 2024, TBO (To be Obtained) at 19.00 WIB, Persiraja Banda Aceh vs PSMS Medan
Saturday 3 February 2024, at Baharoeddin Siregar Lubukpakam, 15.00 WIB, PSMS Medan vs PSIM Yogyakarta
