Tight Competition, Scorpion FC U-15 and Samba Persada Women U-18 Successfully Top the Standings

The final week of the HYDROPLUS Soccer League Kudus 2025-2026, held at Supersoccer Arena Rendeng, Kudus, Central Java, on Sunday (31/5), was intense. In the women's football league initiated by the Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and HYDROPLUS, Putri Surakarta secured a ticket to the national round for the U-15 category alongside the league leader Scorpion FC, after finishing as the runner-up. Meanwhile, in the U-18 category, Samba Persada Women clinched the championship title after defeating Putri Batang and accumulating a total of 34 points at the end of the competition.

Tiered Competition, Step into a Professional Career

HYDROPLUS Soccer League has become a concrete step by the Djarum Foundation's Sports Charity in expanding competitive opportunities for young female footballers to further hone their skills thru continuous match experiences. The presence of this competition complements the development of the girls' football ecosystem that has been initiated from an early age thru the MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) for the U-8, U-10, and U-12 age groups, thereby creating a more structured and sustainable development pathway up to the professional level.

Program Director of the HYDROPLUS Soccer League, Teddy Tjahjono, said that the HYDROPLUS Soccer League has become one of the most competitive youth girls' soccer leagues in Indonesia with a full competition format. With the organization in four regions, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Kudus, and Surabaya, it is hoped to accommodate emerging talents to progress in their careers in a structured manner.

"We created the HYDROPLUS Soccer League as a platform to continue what we have done in MLSC. This is a very important developmental stage to ensure continuity so that the talents of our younger generation can be nurtured." Later, the champions and runners-up from the four regions will compete in the national round of the HYDROPLUS Soccer League All-Stars with a very competitive and exciting atmosphere," said Teddy.

Not only competing for the championship title in the national round, the HYDROPLUS Soccer League All-Stars also serves as an important talent scouting event to fill positions in the Indonesian U-16 National Team, which will represent the nation on the international stage. "The All-Stars concept is being implemented for the first time in Indonesia with a full double round-robin league format, bringing together 8 teams from four regions. Later, there will be a talent scouting team to select talented All-Stars participants to strengthen the Indonesian national team. They are being prepared to compete in the Srikandi Merdeka Cup, which will take place in August at Supersoccer Arena Kudus. "Happy training ahead of the national round, because this is a very important moment," said Teddy.

The Deputy Regent of Kudus, Bellinda Birton, who witnessed the final week of the HYDROPLUS Soccer League Kudus 2025 - 2026 at SuperSoccer Arena, appreciated the development process of girls' soccer from early age levels that started in Kudus Regency three years ago. According to her, it not only brings out potential female football talents but also has a positive impact on the Kudus community.

"Thank you to the Djarum Foundation for providing a positive platform for our younger siblings to channel their talents." In the future, there will be several national-level events in Kudus that will surely be more exciting. Alhamdulillah, with events like this, it certainly provides a positive multiplier effect for the people of Kudus Regency, such as the movement of MSMEs and accommodations. "My hope is that this competition can continue to produce quality athletes who will make Kudus Regency proud, following in the footsteps of the two athletes from Kudus who went to the national team training camp in France yesterday, namely Della Citra Ayu Anggraini and Asyifa Sholawa Farizqi," said Bellinda.

Acting Chairman of the District Association (Askab) PSSI Kudus, Taufan Hapsoro Putro, said that Kudus should be proud to take part in the development of the women's football ecosystem from an early age. He hopes that the athletes who have competed in Kudus can soar higher by progressing thru tiered and sustainable competitions until they reach a professional level.

"We, the extended family of PSSI Kudus Regency, are very grateful to Djarum Foundation and HYDROPLUS, because perhaps until now there has been no party that can organize a women's football league like the HYDROPLUS Soccer League." Kudus should be proud and feel fortunate because it is one of the 4 regions that exist. "Hopefully, athletes from Kudus who also started their early age training at MLSC can perform at a higher level because they were born and began their journey in Kudus," said Taufan.

Scorpion FC and Putri Surakarta Secure All-Stars Tickets

In the final match of the U-15, Putri Surakarta faced Scorpion FC, who had already qualified for the national round after being crowned as the league champions since the previous matchday. Nevertheless, the tension and prestige to achieve victory remained high and were evident from the moment the kick-off whistle blew.

Both teams played aggressively to secure the final three points, pressing each other and competing for ball possession in the midfield. Putri Surakarta threatened first with a free kick executed by the captain, Adinda Resti, in the fourth minute, but the ball sailed over the crossbar. The deadlock was finally broken when Putri Surakarta's defender, Nadya Iqmaril Laili, capitalized on a chance in front of the goal, which the Scorpion FC goalkeeper, Alya Putri Ariyanto, failed to block, giving her team a 1-0 lead.

Trailing by one goal, Scorpion FC attempted to build an attack, but Putri Surakarta's defense was solid and frequently thwarted their efforts. Putri Surakarta continued to dominate the first half with intensive pressing and fast-paced attacks that repeatedly penetrated Scorpion FC's dangerous areas. Even Alya was forced to make several crucial saves to fend off the opponent's onslaught. Scorpion FC finally gained momentum thru a free kick scheme. Latisha Safa Berliana's execution, directed toward the right side of the goal, successfully resulted in a goal in the 20th minute, bringing the score to 1-1 by halftime.

Entering the second half, Putri Surakarta continued to try to extend their lead by creating several opportunities. Adinda's corner kick was successfully utilized by Nadya in front of the goal with a slight touch, scoring the ball into the opponent's net. Leading 2-1 made Putri Surakarta even more motivated to secure a ticket to the national round. The club from the city of Solo extended their lead to 3-1 with a goal from Anissa Tri Nurjannah, who capitalized on an assist from Ika Wonda, thereby sealing the victory for Putri Surakarta over Scorpion FC.

Putri Surakarta coach Syachban Yusuf appreciated the teamwork of his players who fought all out to steal three points and secure the last ticket to the HYDROPLUS Soccer League All-Star. "The match earlier was exciting because each team had surely prepared themselves and showcased their best performance." Alhamdulillah we won 3-1 but there is still much to evaluate in preparation for the upcoming national round. We will schedule training patterns to enhance the team's ability to compete against teams from other regions," said Syachban.

A graduate of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Solo, Ika Wonda, who strengthened the Surakarta women's team, also achieved a great accomplishment by bringing home the U-15 Top Scorer title. During the competition, Ika, who was positioned as a striker, managed to score 31 goals. The increase in the level of competition has made Ika even more optimistic about achieving her dream of becoming a professional footballer in the future. "The match was quite difficult because our attacks could be countered and held back, but the coach from the sidelines told us to be confident." So we supported each other and were solid on the field. We are becoming more confident and motivated to perform in the national round later. "Because I have a dream to join the Indonesian women's national team," said Ika.

On the other hand, despite losing the last match, Scorpion FC solidified their position at the top of the standings with a total of 42 points. In 15 matches during the competition, Scorpion FC recorded 14 wins and only one loss. Scorpion FC also has a good record of achievements, namely being the champion of the U-14 HYDROPLUS Soccer League 2024. This result did not make the team from Kudus arrogant in facing other teams in the HYDROPLUS Soccer League All-Stars event, which will take place in Kudus in July 2026. The event will bring together the champions and runners-up of the U-15 and U-18 categories from four host cities: Surabaya, Jakarta, Kudus, and Bandung.

"Thank you to the Djarum Foundation and HYDROPLUS for providing a platform for the girls to compete." Because after this, we will face teams from other regions in the national round, we will prepare for that. The evaluation for the players is not to be arrogant and to remain humble because the national level will be different. "We will conduct a thorough evaluation both during and outside of matches, such as team cohesion and the chemistry that has been formed so far," explained Scorpion FC Assistant Coach, Islam Andhika.

Samba Persada Women Navigate the Competition Sweetly

Switching to the final U-18 match, the competition between Samba Persada Women and Putri Batang to steal points was equally intense. From the very first minute of the first half, Samba Persada Women immediately applied pressing, which was turned into a counter-attack by Putri Batang. The persistence of both teams' attacking lines made the battle for ball possession a tough one. Samba Persada Women displayed disciplined play to break thru the tight defense of Putri Batang. Even several golden opportunities for Samba Persada Women in 1 on 1 situations in front of the Putri Batang goal were still not executed perfectly. Until the additional 1 minute in the first half ended, the scoreless draw remained unbroken.

Entering the 35th minute of the second half, the tiki-taka playing style of Samba Persada Women frequently adorned the defensive zone of Putri Batang. Unfortunately, the direct shooting attempts made by the Samba Persada Women players were not precise. Like in the 46th minute when Ratna Ayu Setyo Dewanti tried to score directly but missed to the right side of the goal. Similarly, Jullysti Dayren Gianni Matui, who escaped from the chaos, still missed the goal. The battle for ball possession became increasingly intense until Samba Persada Women finally got a golden opportunity for a penalty kick due to a foul committed in the penalty area. The executor Griselda Vivian Mariana successfully recorded her name on the scoreboard with a 1-0 score, securing the top position in the U-18 HYDROPLUS Soccer League Kudus 2025 - 2026 standings with 34 points. Despite losing in the last match, Putri Batang secured the runner-up position in the standings with 25 points.

Samba Persada Women coach Ari Guntur Dewanto appreciated his team for navigating this competition with sweet results. Competing in 12 matches, Samba Persada Women recorded 11 wins and one draw. This result will serve as capital to face opponents from other regions in the upcoming HYDROPLUS Soccer League All-Stars. "In the national round later, the opponents will definitely be above average, the best from each region." I see that we still have shortcomings that we will address in the next month in terms of attacking, defending, and scoring. We always instill the achievement of footballers playing at the national level. Starting from small things, training must be disciplined and consistent both on and off the field. We instill the idea of being a good person first before becoming a football player, meaning you must have a good attitude," said Ari.

List of winners of the HYDROPLUS Soccer League Kudus:

Under 15 Category
Champion : Scorpion FC
Runner Up : Putri Surakarta
Top Scorer : Ika Wonda (Putri Surakarta) - 31
Goals Best Goalkeeper : Amira Sailin Nikhla (Spegaku Balistha)
Best Player : Revania Dwi Citrawati (Samba Persada Women)

Under 18 Category
Champion : Samba Persada Women
Runner-up : Putri Batang
Top scorer : Griselda Vivian Mariana (Samba Persada Women) - 17 Goals
Best Goalkeeper : Miftaviani Nikita Wulandari (Putri Batang)
Best player : Afkarina Diyanatul Khoir (Samba Persada Women)