Crown kick-off

PPCFC starting XI. Back LtoR: Borey, Thierry, Rady, Pheng, Sothy, Srin. Front: Da, Seiha, Suhana, Phearun, Boris - click to enlarge

It was the first outing for Phnom Penh Crown's new-look line-up of youngsters under coach Sam Schweingruber at Crown's RSN Stadium this afternoon and it went according to expectations, with Crown securing a 4-1 success against the Metfone C-League's newest additions, Asia Euro University. Though Crown hosted a glut of new faces amongst the 23 players given game-time by the coach during the match, they dominated possession in the first half and went in at the interval, two goals to the good. Khim Borey, twice, and Boris Kok had blasted opportunities over the crossbar before Hong Pheng smashed in the opening goal on 26 minutes, after Borey had weaved some magic on the right flank to set him up. Sos Suhana should've made it two a few minutes later, before Ouk Sothy finished off a neat one-two with Borey six minutes before the break. It was a deserved lead. Borey and Suhana combined nicely just after the restart, only for the latter to roll his shot wide of the mark, and then Borey set up Thierry Bin, but the newcomer miscued his shot fifteen yards out. Schweingruber began to ring the personnel changes and by twenty minutes into the second half, ten new faces had been introduced. One of them, Leng Makara took advantage on 69 minutes when he calmly flicked his touch past the AEU keeper after Ly Morslim had set him up from Chhom Pisa's cross. Makara was denied by the AEU stopper a minute later with Morslim blasting the loose ball over the top from an angle. AEU pulled a goal back with ten minutes of the game remaining, but Makara netted his second, just two minutes later, heading in at the far post from a Mart Hasan flick-on. Hasan himself should've added another, but leaned back as he shot and the ball cleared the goal-frame.
PPCFC line-up: Seiha (Ary 46 (Chamrouen 74)), Da (Lika 52), Phearun (Seyha 52), Rady (Kano 65), Srin (Dara 65), Sothy (Pisa 56), Boris (Sopri 72), Suhana (Morslim 65), Pheng (Ravy 65), Borey (Makara 52), Thierry (Hasan 65).
The two French-Khmer players, Thierry and Boris, were given a good run out with the latter looking assured in midfield, whilst Thierry was starved of sufficient ball but showed battling qualities to get into the game. Two trialists, Res Ravy and Mat Sopri, were also given twenty minutes or so. The only squad member not on show was Kouch Sokumpheak, who continues his rehabilitation from his knee ligament injury. After the match, the Crown squad then joined the Academy boys and the Cambodia U-15 Girls national team, in Phnom Penh preparing for their upcoming visit to Singapore, in a series of fun five-a-side games.

New face Thierry Bin shapes up to strike this free-kick against AEU

PPCFC coach Sam Schweingruber explains his half-time plans