Dominant opener

PPCFC U-17s. Back Row LtoR: Sovann, Titchhy, Sodavid, Soksela, Sakrovy, Chanpolin (capt). Front Row: Ponvuthy, Nuron, Muslim, Chansopheak, Phearath - click to enlarge

The Phnom Penh Crown U-17s got their first taste of the new Cambodian U-17 Youth League this afternoon at Olympic Stadium. They looked a little rusty to begin with but went onto thrash the SSCA U-17s 5-0 but in reality the scoreline should've been much higher, the game was very one-sided. With the match switched to the Olympic Stadium as the RSN pitch was too wet, Crown dominated from the start, using their passing game to outwit the Civil Aviation team though they had to wait 27 minutes for their first goal. Before that a few chances were spurned including one by Mat Sakrovy, who broke free but lobbed the ball over the bar when well-placed. Pov Ponvuthy broke the deadlock when he finished off a sweet short corner move from In Sodavid and Ken Chansopheak that completely outfoxed the SSCA defence. Crown continued to create and miss chances until Sakrovy sped past the last defender, latched onto an Orn Chanpolin pass, kept his head and rolled his shot inside the far post with 33 minutes on the clock. Two minutes later, SSCA were well and truly beaten as Mat Nuron's bye-line cross was swept in by Yeu Muslim at the near post for Crown's third. Nuron himself missed a gilt-edged chance just before the half-time interval.

SSCA did better at the beginning of the second-half to restrict Crown but Ponvuthy should've done better when sent clear by Muslim, only to steer his shot wide of the target. With half an hour of the second half gone, Crown extended their lead as Suon Noeut used his pace to race into the box and Nuron poked in the loose ball as the goalkeeper failed to cut out the cross. Soon after Noeut blasted over when scoring seemed an easier option. With nine minutes to go, skipper Chanpolin was upended in the penalty box and Sraing Titchhy guided the spot-kick into the corner of the net for his team's fifth. Crown's superior fitness was another factor in their dominance but they were left speechless by the referee's last minute decision to dismiss substitute Vat Samnang. An innocuous challenge in midfield by Samnang and an opponent left them both on the floor but the referee deemed Samnang had done something seriously wrong in his opinion and was shown a straight red card. No-one could quite believe their eyes as the youngster left the field. It was a shockingly inept decision by a match official who had been fifteen minutes late in starting the game, for reasons known only to him. A sour note in an otherwise good display by Crown's U-17s. Their next game is next Sunday against Western University at RSN Stadium.
PPCFC U-17s: Soksela, Chansopheak, Phearath (K Chhaya 65), Sovann, Titchhy, Chanpolin, Sodavid, Sakrovy (Piphop 65), Ponvuthy (Noeut 74), Nuron (V Samnang 84), Muslim (Rozak 86). Subs not used: Chanvuthy, Baraing, Chanchav. Bookings: Phearath, V Samnang (red card). MOTM: Chanpolin. Goals: Ponvuthy (27), Sakrovy (33), Muslim (35), Nuron (76), Titchhy pen (81).

Captain Orn Chanpolin (8) leads out the PPCFC U-17s at Olympic Stadium - click to enlarge