Academy win, and lose

The winning Academy 2 team: Back Row LtoR: Sovann, Titchhy, Sodavid, Senteang, Chanpolin, Dara. Front Row: Phearath, Nuron, Chansopheak, Muslim, T Chhaya. Click to enlarge.

The Cambodia Football Development League took a back-seat once the Phnom Penh Crown Academy started playing in the Asean U-15 Champions Trophy. The second half of the season was curtailed into a series of play-off matches and in the U-16 Championship, where the Academy 2 team led the way, followed by the Academy 1 team and Svay Rieng, there was one outstanding match. The semi-final of the U-16s to decide who would meet Svay Rieng in the final. As you might expect, the match-up was between the two Academy teams. In a closely-fought match on Tuesday, and with penalties looking like the eventual outcome, Chhuot Senteang popped up in the box to convert the winning goal in the final minute for the Academy 2 team. The same player had already missed three guilt-edged chances before that, so for his sake he was relieved to put it away, while Mat Sakrovy and Pov Ponvuthy went close for the Academy 1 side. Though it was a match between Academy teammates no quarter was given and at least three players limped off at the final whistle. It was a good warm-up for the Academy squad that will travel to play in Singapore this coming Saturday in the Asean U-15 competition. The date for the U-16s final is yet to be decided. Svay Rieng will be looking for a clean sweep after they carried off both the U-12 and U-14 competition finals a week or so earlier.

Academy 1. Back Row LtoR: Noeut, K Chhaya, Baraing, Chanchav, V Samnang, S Samnang. Front Row: Sakrovy, Ponvuthy, Piphop, David, Rozak. Click to enlarge.