Jan Olde Riekerink: Dewa United Deserves Recognition

Dewa United's head coach, Jan Olde Riekerink, believes his team truly deserves praise after securing five consecutive wins in the 2024-25 Liga 1. The latest victory came against Persija Jakarta, with Dewa United emerging 2-1 winners in a match held at Pakansari Stadium in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday, February 8, 2025.

This win marked Dewa United’s fifth straight triumph, following earlier successes over Arema FC (2-0), Persib Bandung (2-0), and a narrow 3-2 win against PSM Makassar. In their most recent matches, Dewa United also defeated PSIS Semarang 4-1 and then Persija Jakarta again 2-1.

Riekerink praised his team’s performance, stating that they were deserving of high recognition for their efforts, particularly in executing the first-half game plan effectively. While acknowledging the team's overall performance, Riekerink highlighted Taisei Marukawa as a key player in their win against Persija Jakarta. He credited Marukawa for his crucial role in exploiting space and creating pressure on the opposing team, especially in his duel against one of Persija's five defenders.

According to the coach, Marukawa’s performance was instrumental in the victory and made him the standout player of the match. With this win, Dewa United moved up to second place in the Liga 1 standings for the 2024-25 season, surpassing Persija Jakarta by one point, who now sit in third place.