Crown win, Cambodia don't

Result: Phnom Penh Crown 7 Bayon Wanderers 2 (Friendly).
With six players on national team duty and the Academy playing live on TV in Svay Rieng, the remainder of the Crown senior team met local expat team Bayon Wanderers in a practice match at RSN Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Coach Sam Schweingruber gave playing time to some players who've been training with the team this week, including former Crown utility player Jeongho Kim and ex-Boeung Ket midfielder Momoh Degule Sumaila. Crown came out 7-2 victors with Leng Makara, Odion Obadin, Kim (with his first touch) and Long Boran scoring in the opening half. After the break, Sor Polo, Kim again and Chey Chetra netted with Ouk Sothy missing a penalty.
PPCFC Line-up: Ary (Ursaphea 46), C Pisa (Lavy 46), Sokheng (Chetra 46), Boris (Charly 60), Obadin, Sothy (Apollo 80), S Pisa (Makara 70), Makara (Kim 30), Boran, Momoh, Tola (Polo 46).

Cambodia NT, back row, LtoR: Chanrasmey, Rithy, Thierry, Piseth, Laboravy, Sereyroth. Front: Sovannrithy, Chhoeun, Suhana, Pancharong, Sokthorn - click to enlarge

Six Phnom Penh Crown players were part of the Cambodia National Team that lost 5-2 to South Korean club side Hwaseong FC on Saturday in a friendly at Svay Rieng. Bin Thierry, Sos Suhana and Va Sokthorn played in the opening 45 minutes, with the match all-square at 2-2 at half-time. Sun Sovannrithy and Khuon Laboravy, from a Suhana assist, netted for the national team, with the Korean leveller coming with the last kick of the first-half. In the second period, Sary Matnorotin, Ngoy Srin and Thourng Da were in the line-up as coach Lee Tae-Hoon changed all eleven players, but the game didn't go to plan with Da getting booked and Hwaseong looking dangerous against a young Cambodia line-up, that conceded further goals on the hour and then two more late strikes to a team from Korea's fourth tier of football. Not the result the large crowd were hoping to see from the national team, who have World Cup qualifying games coming up next month.
Postscript: Phnom Penh Crown's goalkeeper Sou Yaty was in the Cambodia national team line-up for the match having a few days earlier left the club to join Boeungket for a substantial fee. Yaty was the MCL Goalkeeper of the Year last season but was one of four players suspended by Crown after their pre-season trip to China. All four players including Kouch Sokumpheak, Khim Borey and Hong Pheng, have now left the club.