Thais too strong

In the 2nd of their friendly matches in Bangkok, as part of their pre-Hun Sen Cup training camp, Phnom Penh Crown showed up well for an hour before falling to a 3-1 defeat against Thai Premier League side Osotspa M-150 Saraburi this afternoon. The Thais finished 7th in last season's TPL. Coach Bojan Hodak pitched his all-Khmer line-up against an all-Thai XI in the first half and the Khmers came out on top, hitting the crossbar and dominating the action. Osotspa changed their whole line-up after the break, but couldn't stop Crown taking the lead 5 minutes after the restart through Sok Pheng. Four minutes later the Thai side levelled and with Crown tiring and making a series of substitutions, Osotspa netted further goals on 65 and 80 minutes. Osotspa fielded eight foreigners in the 2nd half and their strength told in the end. After the game, Crown coach Hodak commented; "we were a little tired because of 2 games in 3 days though I was pleased with our performance for an hour, but I'm a perfectionist, so I will never be completely happy. Our finishing can still improve and we also need to minimize mistakes when we are defending." Crown will now have more sessions on their own training ground in Tuol Kork, once they return from Bangkok, before they are due to spend a week in Kompong Thom, facing their three Hun Sen Cup Group D opponents, from 7 January.
PPC line-up: Visokra (Bunchhay 45), Dara (Vanthan 60), Narith (Sovan 82), Tiny, Sothearith, Borey, Narong (Virath 82), Sopanha (Sophat 80), Chaya (Ratana 60), Pheng (Virak 60), Sokumpheak (Rathanak 82).