Evan Dimas Darmono

Evan Dimas Darmono

The only time Indonesia qualified for the World Cup they did not exist.  The 1938 tournament in France came seven years before independence reached what was then the Dutch East Indies.
For the world’s fourth most populous nation historical football highlights have been rare. Though they lost their only World Cup finals match 6-0 to Hungary it remains their zenith.  Indonesia have not come close to qualifying for the finals since.
But after years of disappointment and a bitter battle for control of domestic football hope is finally on the horizon.
A group of talented young players is emerging to change the future.  They might be ranked 162 in the world, one of the worst ratings per capita, but World Cup qualification no longer seems an impossible dream. It remains a difficult one but expectations are growing.
Of the youngsters that carry Indonesia’s footballing hopes one stands out.

His name is Evan Dimas Darmono

Evan Dimas first rose to prominence in local youth football near his home in Surabaya, the capital of Eat Java province.  His big break came in Nike’s talent spotting programme ‘The Chance.’  After excelling at the Indonesian and East Asian contests he traveled to Barcelona with 100 young stars from around the world to train in front of Pep Guardiola.  He impressed the watching coaches and has been on the radar of several foreign teams since.

The greatest performance of his short career came in October 2013 when he led Indonesia Under 19 to a famous win over the powerhouse of Asian youth football, South Korea.  Dimas scored all three goals in a 3-1 victory that showcased his full range of skills.

The Indonesian Xavi

Dimas grew up idolizing Xavi Hernandez and there is something of the Barcelona great in the way he seeks to preserve possession and evade opponents with clever turns and constant movement.  Dimas is a Catalan-style midfielder and dreams of returning to Barcelona.
He is by no means the finished article but is a very interesting prospect with some important choices to make.

In control of his destiny

Dimas currently plays for Persebaya 1927 but for how much longer is open to question.
With Japan’s J.League enacting legislation allowing clubs to increase their foreign player limit from four to five with the addition of an East Asian player, starlets like Dimas become increasingly attractive investments for Japanese clubs.
A move slightly further afield has also been mooted.

Italy?

Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir recently bought a majority stake in Inter Milan.  He has spoken of a desire to see Indonesia players at the San Siro and Dimas heads a relatively short list of Indonesian names being linked with a move to Italian giants.
He would undoubtedly face a long and arduous journey to reach the Inter first team and would be far better served continuing his career closer to home.  The move to Europe is well within his range of talent but he needs first to make the leap from youth to adult football.  Dimas has already taken the chance Nike gave him his next move will go a long way in defining his career.
Thohir also owns MLS side DC United who have tried to recruit Indonesian players Andik Vermansah and Syamsir Alam over the past twelve months.  While the domestic league structure strengthens talented Indonesian players will continue to look abroad to advance.

The best team in Asia?

The quality of Indonesian football is improving.  Dimas development is testament to a range of recent measures aimed at reforming Indonesia’s youth training structure.
Indonesia made a commitment to improve its football from the bottom up.  While a war was fought over the structure of the national league a commitment to youth was also being established.
Legendary youth coach Tom Byer was consulted on how to raise skill levels and the fruits of his advice are already beginning to be seen.  Byer, who is based in Japan but has worked with a number of national federations, believes the numbers are in Indonesia’s favour and that they could potentially reach a very high level.

“I see this place as very attractive. The blockage is that they need to get organized and sort it out, but there’s no reason this can’t be the Brazil of Southeast Asia.  You’ve got 65 million kids under the age of 14 in Indonesia. In Japan, we only have 12 million or 14 million. The demographics are such that this is a gold mine for producing great players. The big question is not can they become the best in Asia; the question is when,” Byer told the Jakarta Globe.

Youth: the foundation of future success

After years of instability and underachievement Indonesia stands at a pivotal moment in the development of its football culture.  A country of 200 million has the raw materials for success.  But in a failing system it is often the grassroots that need most attention.  Addressing the failings of the national team by revolutionizing the youth structure is a foresighted decision.  And one that PSSI official Bob Hippy believes is fundamental to the development of Indonesian football.

 “To build a house, we need a good foundation. A good foundation for football in Indonesia has youth development as the priority.  I’ve told people that we can’t succeed here without youth development. It’s hard work, but we have to do it. Without it, we cannot achieve anything here,” he told the Jakarta Globe.

If the changes begin to bear fruit Indonesia can dream of the World Cup once more.  And players like Dimas can see their dreams of Barca move closer to reality.  Only they know how far they can go.
Evan Dimas Darmono
Position:  Midfield
Club:  Persebaya 1927
Date of Birth:  13 March 1995 (18 years old)
Place of Birth:  Surabaya, Indonesia
Nationality:  Indonesian
Height: 172 cm
Weight:  54 kg

source : http://daswunderkind.net/evan-dimas-indonesia-xavi-barca-342219/