Stadion Utama Sumatera Utara

The new arena at Medan sits apart from the city centre. The first thing to notice is the way the stands sit: green and white seats arranged in a pattern that mimics the batik motifs seen on the banners above the concourses.

Inside, the surface is a hybrid mix of natural grass and synthetic fibres, laid with precision to survive the humidity. PSMS Medan moved their home games here, trading the old Teladan for a facility that holds nearly 26,000 people. The transition has not been without its hiccups; the club had to learn the new sightlines, and the fans had to adjust to the distance between the stands and the touchline.

When the national youth teams arrived for the Independence Cup, the stadium fell silent before the whistle. The crowd of 21,991 for the game against Mali was a sign that this place could hold its own against anything. The government built it for the National Sports Week, but the footballers have made it their own. There is no track around the pitch, just the grass and the white lines. The podiums stand on the sideline, green and yellow, waiting for the post-match talks. It is a standard modern arena, but the local colour in the seats keeps it from feeling like any other concrete bowl in the region. Things came to a head during the opening when the stage was set up, but once the players took the field, the theatre of politics gave way to the game.