AEU teach a lesson

Cambodia U-16's. Back Row LtoR: Sovann, Dinarong, Sokheng, Mesa, Chanpolin, Ravann. Front Row: Baraing, Noeut, Sodavid,  Ratana, Senteang - click to enlarge.

Sam Schweingruber will shave half a dozen names off his player roster for the Cambodia U-16 national squad after this weekend. The team will be jetting off to Myanmar on 18 August for the AFF U-16 Youth Championship with their first game against Australia two days later. Earlier this morning, the squad played their first practice match, against the adult Asia Euro University team, and came unstuck, with a 4-0 defeat. AEU have just been relegated from the Metfone C-League and impressed many observers this season, but found the going tough in the first-half of today's game. The half-time score was nil-nil and the best chance of an otherwise nondescript opening half fell to Chhuot Senteang, who free and racing down on goal, sent his drive inches wide of the upright. The U-16s were without Sraing Titchhy, sitting forlornly on the touchlines with a knee injury and included six Phnom Penh Crown youngsters, four from Svay Rieng and one from Boeung Ket in the starting line-up. Svang Samnang replaced Sem Mesa in goal for the U-16s at the break and was called into action to make three telling saves in the opening eight minutes. With AEU piling on the pressure, two goals in just under a minute, fifteen minutes in, swung the balance of the match firmly in AEU's favour. On 70 minutes AEU netted a third and though In Sodavid struck a fierce shot which Mak Theara finger-tipped over the bar, AEU made sure of the victory with their final goal with eight minutes to go. It was a lesson for the U-16s who worked hard in the first-half but succumbed a little too easily after the break. Schweingruber expressed his disappointment after the game and knows he has his work cut out over the next two weeks to gel his squad together for matches against Australia, Brunei, Vietnam and hosts Myanmar. 23 of the 25 squad members got some playing time with only Sath Rozak and Mat Nuron not getting on the pitch. The coaching staff, including Crown Academy head coach Bouy Dary, will reduce the squad to twenty names over the next few days. The players who played against AEU were: Mesa (Samnang/Sokundara/Chanvuthy), Noeut (Chansopheak), Sovann, Dinarong (K Chhaya), Baraing (Khantey/Phearath), Sodavid, Chanpolin (Sakrovy), Ravann (Piphop), Ratana (Muslim), Sokheng (Ponvuthy), Senteang (Dara). Subs not used: Nuron, Rozak. Injured: Titchhy.

Coach Sam Schweingruber practicing a little magic