Sunday, July 3, 2011

Fall from grace

The Cambodian starting XI v Laos: Back Row LtoR: Mic, Sopanha, Rithy, Tiny, Laboravy, Rady. Front Row: Chhoeurn, El Nasa, Pancharong, Sokumpheak, Sothearath [pic Ung Chamroeun]
Final score: Laos 6 Cambodia 2 (aet). The worst possible start for the Cambodian national team in Laos in their World Cup qualifier, with the home side taking the lead on 19 minutes through Lamnao Singto, restored to the attack, despite looking a bit overweight in the first leg, when he came on as a late sub. Cambodia led4-2 from the 1st leg and needed to keep Laos quiet at the start of this 2nd leg. They didn't. Laos went two-ahead on the half-hour when lanky striker Khampheng Sayavutthi netted a header to put Laos level on aggregate and ahead on the away goals rule. But Cambodia came steaming back with a goal from Chin Chhoeurn to make it 2-1 on the stroke of half-time. Cambodia lead 5-4 on aggregate. 45 minutes to go. This is making me dizzy. Laos scored again 2 minutes into the 2nd half through Souliya Syphasay to make it 3-1 and 5-5 on aggregate, with Laos ahead on away goals, again. Why do we insist on conceding early goals? On 55 minutes Lamnao Singto grabbed his 2nd and Laos' fourth to go 4-1 ahead though if Cambodia score again, it will be all-square, on aggregate. Talk about topsy-turvy, edge of the seat stuff. Would you believe it, Cambodia have scored a 2nd, through Kouch Sokumpheak on 75 minutes and though it's 4-2 to Laos it's 6-6 on aggregate, and away goals all square. There's got to be more to come...in fact there will be 30 more minutes with extra time already underway. 4 minutes into extra time and Laos storm back in front, 5-2, through Visay Phaphouvanin, who replaced Lamnao Singto a minute before the end of normal time. That's what I mean about substitutes that can change a match. On 112 minutes Sysomvang Kanlaya, another sub, netted from the penalty spot to make it 6-2 to Laos and to end Cambodia's World Cup hopes for another four years. [This article was updated as the match progressed].
The Cambodian starting eleven saw Sam El Nasa replace Tum Saray from the 1st leg team, so the line-up looked like this (with subs): Mic, Rady (Raksmey 49), Pancharong, Tiny, Rithy, Sothearath, Sopanha (PM Udom 75), Chhoeurn, Laboravy, El Nasa (Dina 54), Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Vichet, Vichheka, Saray, Souhana. Bookings: Mic, Rithy, Sothearath. The Cambodian bench looked very thin with no-one that could change the game, with the coach's squad selection coming back to haunt him.

The Cambodian coach, Lee Tae-Hoon, has now presided over the abject failure at the first hurdle in the Suzuki Cup, the AFC Challenge Cup and now the World Cup. That takes some beating as the most piss-poor record of a national team coach and yet he had the opportunity to call on
players performing in a better standard of football than ever before, and refused to do it, so he has no-one to blame but himself. His stated desire to concentrate on the U-23 team (with another BIDC Cup and the SEA Games in his sights later this year) will not go down well with the national team fans. To imply that he wasn't interested in the World Cup competition should not be forgiven or forgotten by the fans. To me that simply stinks. To prepare so poorly for the World Cup games with two scraping-the-barrel friendlies, was crap in the extreme. But if you think that his dismal record will force the football federation into making a change, then think again. The coach's salary is paid for by the Korean FA, so don't expect any change to the status quo. Improving the country's international football image isn't worth spending money on in the eyes of those in charge. I could prattle on longer, but I've been identifying the weaknesses of the selection policy and so on for a while now, and whilst the first leg victory gave everyone a lift, it was back to what we've been accustomed to in the 2nd leg. How a team that could barely get into our box in the 1st leg, could score six in the 2nd leg is just one question we should be posing the coach in the after-match inquest. The only quote I've seen from Lee Tae-Hoon so far is; "Our team found it hard to control their emotions when travelling abroad." Ah, so that's the reason for our World Cup debacle. Nothing to do with your selection, tactics and coaching ability then.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Status Quo? Apparently, I don't think you know how hard it is to find sponsor or anyone to give you money to run an operation that basically doesn't give the resource owner any benefit. You talked as if the federation has all the money in the world but they don't spend it. Yes, the result hasn't been good but don't be a negative nancy that doesn't see some of the real factors restraining the organization to do what they want. Lee's performance criticism is understandable but to accuse the federation of status quo? If by status quo, you mean the restraint of funding. You don't get anything for free in this world. Even the League's name was changed to Metfone for a reason. Nothing personal against you, Andy but I would just like you to maybe see things from the perspective of those trying to run this organization whose budget is probably a get-by.

Andy Brouwer said...

Anon, I didn't catch your name by the way...
I'm not a negative nancy and you obviously have no idea of what goes on at the FFC judging by your response. I have worked closely with the FFC, have you?
As for name change, give me a break. What's that league in the UK called again...the Barclays Premier...come back when you know what you are talking about.
Andy

Anonymous said...

Well done Andy,
FFC=PKR,
people working in FFC doing well for themself, if they are useless and can not find money to orginize football they need to resign.
Why they dont give Samnang Rithy to run FFC,
he bring PPCFC to AFC Cup Final Round, probably he can do some more good thing for Cambodian Football and he will do it wif his money, he will not any money out of FFC.

Anonymous said...

and by the way Andy:
if my father pay my salary -may I be Cambodian national coach?

Anonymous said...

July 4, 2011 2:07 PM

you wouldn't happen to be a friend or so with Samnang Rithy, would you? lol

Anonymous said...

Andy, what department of the FFC do you work in?

Andy Brouwer said...

Anon 1 & 2:
FYI, Rithy Samnang is already an executive committee member of the FFC.

I never said I worked for the FFC, I said I worked closely with them, in connection with the biggest international football club competition ever held in Cambodia. Does that answer your question?
Andy

Anonymous said...

I still wonder, why world cup qualify's not important for cambodian coach?

Andy Brouwer said...

Its a question only Lee Tae-Hoon and the management team of the national side can answer. To every football fan in Cambodia, the World Cup is very important. They seem to miss that point entirely.

Anonymous said...

Yes.All Cambodian think is our team will play in the next round with China.We can see our team is improving but at last it really hurt us, the result is unbelievable.
Supporter

Anonymous said...

anon 1, i am PPC fan,Rithy do many good things with PPC,hope that he can do something good for Khmer football.
You sound like some people from FFC,
are you one of them?
they just talk big,
if they can not find money they should leave.

Andy Brouwer said...

All,
I have had to delete a couple of comments sent through to me. They made good points but they were abusive in their comments about the FFC and others. If you want to comment then please ensure that your remarks are able to be printed.
Thanks,
Andy

Andy Brouwer said...

I heard from a reliable source today that the national coach Lee Tae-Hoon, who will be at the helm of Cambodia for another year, was bemoaning the lack of firepower on his bench in the 2nd leg v Laos. Apparently he wanted to take Soksana from Army to Laos but when he enquired, he was told that the Federation had already submitted THEIR choice of 18 players and he couldn't add any more, even though a playing squad of 23 was allowed.
If that's not simply ridiculous, I don't know what is. So if its true, its the Federation who are picking the national team, not the coach. So is it the Federation who are not selecting the Thai-based players you have to ask.
Is this anyway to conduct a national football team?
Andy

Khmer Fan said...

Andy. Why they dont call our good player who play at thai league to join the team?