Saturday's round-up

Goal of the season so far goes to Defense Ministry's Suong Virak

Saturday's Metfone C-League games were played in scorchingly humid weather and the players deserve medals for playing as well as they have. Nevertheless, the first half of the opening game was the worst 45 minutes of the season as Khemara Keila struggled to overcome the Black Cats from Chhma Khmao before eventually taking the points with a 1-nil win. Certainly the least enjoyable of the season's matches so far. Honours were even in the 2nd game with the Army levelling after Naga got their noses in front with two goals from Teab Vatanak. The former national team striker has been suffering with an acute lack of confidence so far this campaign, so his two goals will do him a power of good. The game's opening goal from Suong Virak was the best of the season so far, with the tiny winger dribbling and swerving his way into the Naga box before planting a neat finish, just 4 minutes into the game. It was perhaps fitting that two of the three teams with a 100% record before the game, should share the points. More later.
I was a bit stunned at the game today when I heard something that made me cringe. It seems that if the football federation or anyone calls a press conference to announce something to the sports press, then the federation has to pay the individual press journalists to attend. Yes, you read that right, the journos expect payment to attend and report on the breaking news. That's the Khmer journalists I might add. The foreign-language press aren't included on the payroll. This smells really bad to me. That the press expect to be paid to report the news just doesn't sit right whichever way I look at it. Of course they should be paid by their newspaper, that goes without saying, but to be paid by the federation as well... I'm speechless.