Two good halves

PPCFC V Naga starting XI, back row, LtoR: Chanpolin, Mathnorotin, Bosma, Borey, Sokheng, Ary. Front: Pellegrino, Da, Suhana, Pisa, Chhaya - click to enlarge

Result: Phnom Penh Crown 3 NagaCorp 2 (Friendly).
Crown played their first pre-season practice match at RSN Stadium this afternoon and dominated for the majority of the game played in three periods of 30 minutes, beating Naga 3-2. Coach Sam Schweingruber sent out an experimental line-up for the first period which included trialist Sary Mathnorotin, new face Koen Bosma and two of the Academy players. The Naga goalkeeper was kept busy as Adriano Pellegrino tested him from distance and then Orn Chanpolin, sent in a low drive which the stopper did well to push around the post. On ten minutes Bosma tested his distance shooting but his effort sailed a foot wide. Three minutes later, the Dutchman opened the scoring with a 20-yard drilled shot that gave the keeper no chance. A free-kick from Khim Borey was saved with little seen of Naga as an attacking threat. Schweingruber made six changes at the break including Amm Sovythang, another trialist from Belgium. He tested the keeper after just a minute and then a deflected Pellegrino drive had the stopper back-pedalling to touch the ball over the bar. Another Borey free-kick was pushed wide and Odion Obadin was inches from scoring with a far post header from a Pellegrino corner. In Sodavid released Chea Dara into the box but he screwed his shot across the face of goal and wide. On 44 minutes, a quick throw by Bosma saw Pellegrino set up Sodavid and the 16-year old sent a 20-yard low drive into the corner to make it two, much to the delight of his teammates. With Crown in full control, Pellegrino's headed pass sent Baldwin Ngwa away and he turned Tieng Tiny inside out before unleashing a left foot drive into the far corner, with 55 minutes played. More changes at the end of the second period followed.

Naga's Barry Lelouma got a shot on target six minutes into the third period, though the referee adjudged Touch Sokheng had kicked the winger and Lelouma scored from the resulting penalty. Sovythang went past two defenders with ease but his shot was blocked and Ly Morslim's follow-up endured the same fate. As the game came to a close, Crown keeper Keo Soksela saved at the feet of Teab Vathanak, only for the referee to point to the penalty spot again. Despite the loud protests that followed, Lelouma netted his second spot-kick to end the game with the home side winning 3-2. 
PPCFC v NagaCorp: Ary (Soksela 61), Da (Pisa 61), Chhaya (Dara 31 (Sokheng 61)), Sokheng (Boris 31), Pisa (Obadin 31 (Dara 86)), Suhana (Chanpolin 61), Chanpolin (Sodavid 31 (Pekka 61)), Borey (Sovythang 31), Mathnorotin (Ngwa 31), Pellegrino (Borey 61 (Chhaya 82), Bosma (Morslim 61). Bookings: None. MOTM: Pellegrino. Goals: Bosma (13), Sodavid (44), Ngwa (55).

PPCFC v Naga, start of 2nd period, back row, LtoR: Ary, Bosma, Pellegrino, Boris, Ngwa, Obadin. Front: Da, Dara, Suhana, Sovythang, Sodavid - click to enlarge