Crown rout students

PPCFC v Laos. Back row, LtoR: Thierry, Srin, Boris, King, Pheng, Sarak. Front: Da, Sokheng, Ary, Borey, Sokumpheak (capt)

In an international club competition you never quite know what team you will be up against. On Thursday, Phnom Penh Crown went in blind and met the best team in the competition - the 2nd Nanning Asean International Tournament - and found the going a bit tough, losing 3-0 to the All China amateur champions, Guangxi Nanning Runhua FC. For their second match, on Friday, it was a completely different story as their opponents, Laos Youth were, as their name suggests, Laotian students and Crown steamrollered them with an 8-0 victory. In coach Sam Schweingruber's words; "They were stubborn for the first twenty minutes but we pushed them hard, were better in all areas and won easily. In the 2nd half we lacked concentration and despite much possession and chances, we didn't do as well as I would expect."

English-born trialist Kyle King was in the goals with four to his name but it was Khim Borey who started the rout with two goals in three minutes, his first a simple header from Touch Sokheng's corner and his second, a neat finish from a Kouch Sokumpheak pass. They arrived on 23 and 25 minutes. On the half hour King netted his first after Bin Thierry put Borey through and his dribble set up the striker. Six minutes King he got his second with a composed finish. Hong Pheng got his head to the ball to score after King's header rebounded back off the cross-bar with five minutes of the first half remaining. In time added on, King latched onto a deep ball, rounded the goalkeeper and claimed a first-half hat-trick. After the half-time break, Crown continued to dominate the game but didn't do themselves justice until two more goals in the last eight minutes. Pheng got his second after some nice combination build-up play and the last word went to King, with a minute to go, as he nodded in a headed pass from Sokumpheak. Maybe not the tough workout that Schweingruber would've been hoping for, but with a few players carrying knocks, a morale-boosting big win doesn't hurt anyone, except the opposition.
PPCFC v Laos Youth: Ary, Da (Makara 75), Sarak, Srin, Boris (Keo 40), Sokheng (Sothy 80), Thierry, Pheng, Sokumpheak, Borey (Sophat 75), King. Goals: King (30, 36, 46, 89), Borey (23, 25), Pheng (40, 82).

The Laos Youth team, thrashed 8-0 yesterday