Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Same old story

Rock bottom, but we all saw it coming. To be frank it's hardly worth reporting that Cambodia were beaten yet again on Monday night, in a competition they should never have entered, and in which they failed in all four matches. This time they went down to an U-19 team from Malaysia, 3-1, with another couple of late goals sealing Cambodia's fate. An all-too common occurrence in this invitational Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy tournament in Brunei. Skipper Chhun Sothearath scored for the Cambodia U-21 team (with 4 overage players in the squad) but it was no consolation with the squad now returning in time for the start of the Metfone C-League this coming Saturday, a competition that had to be postponed to allow the players to return to their clubs. Coach Lee Tae-Hoon has resided over defeats by Brunei and Timor Leste in this four-match competition, further evidence that Cambodian football has failed to progress under his stewardship and these results against countries so far below them in the FIFA world rankings, surely cannot escape the attention of his paymasters at the football federation. He's already managed to survive a series of disastrous results in all previous competitions over the past sixteen months when other national coaches would've been shown the door in double-quick time, so we'll wait to see what the FFC have to say about this shambolic tournament performance. I won't hold my breath.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shambolic indeed! I just wonder if the paymasters are really the FFC or whether coach Lee is paid directly by the South Korean Federation? Either way he should be replaced with immediate effect, that he stayed so long a sad indictment of the way football is run in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Now FFC could see the result when you ignore the public opinion. Cambodia should have performed better in the last Challenge Cup, SEA Game and this 2012 HBT. I hope FFC reconsider about Lee and think about the coming Suzuki Cup. Ratha

Anonymous said...

thats why its the Kingdom of Wonders! u wonder why a coach with a Win lose ration like him can still be there for so long....maybe u should check the stats and see if he is indeed the worse coach ever ....
cant really blame him 100% as the cambodia football system also doesnt really produce much good enough players... dont see any of the players wearing the national jersey with pride..

Anonymous said...

When you have a good coach, he can drive the team to perform beyond their actual capacity. With poor/bad coach (whatever you call), he will drive the team to the level lower than their actual ability. Personally. I think cambodia has plenty of talented players. But Lee failed to drive them to play at their best.

Anonymous said...

Andy, do you have coach Lee's win/loss record since he has taken charge of Cambodia?

With such a litany of defeat to hide behind, it's difficult to keep track of his unenviable record!

Cambodia's extra-time loss to Laos in the World Cup qualifier in Vientiane, after leading 4-2 after the first home-leg, should have sent alarm bells ringing with the FFC, as it did with the fans.

Results in all competitions since(incl the SEA Games/Brunei tournaments) have plumbed new depths.

Andy Brouwer said...

Anon 9:17AM. I don't have his record listed down I must admit. I have recorded all the games in my blog postings, over the last 16 months or so, whether its U21, U23 or full national matches including friendly games. It would take me too long to do it to be honest and I don't have the passion to research about this individual, who is well past his sell-by date in my opinion. I can't believe that he's still in charge of the Cambodian football team. It beggar's belief.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Andy, I will check your blog-postings re coach Lee's dismal record.

What I find difficult to understand is that the CPL club teams fare well in international tournaments - PP Crown were runner's up in the President's Cup in Taiwan! - so it follows that the players are good enough.

The Cambodian U21+ squad in Brunei {albeit minus PKRs Laboravy and PPC players) was still a good one on paper. But the team lost all 4 games and 2 of them were against U19 opposition!

What on earth went wrong?

Andy Brouwer said...

Wrong coach in the wrong place at the wrong time.