TriAsia made to pay

PPCFC v TriAsia. Back Row, LtoR: Bisan, Boris, Oliveira, Obadin, Srin, Yaty. Front: Sokumpheak, Sothy, Sosela, Pheng, Borey - click to enlarge

Result: PPCFC 5 TriAsia PP 0 (Friendly).
For their second match this afternoon, Phnom Penh Crown met new boys TriAsia PP for the first time but most of their first-choice players as well as their Japanese coach stayed away, leaving Crown to teach their B-team a footballing lesson. Crown coach Sam Schweingruber gave a debut to trialist Rafael Souza de Oliveira, a Brazilian midfielder with experience in his home country and three years playing in Vietnam with Navibank and The Cong. Oliveira and George Bisan caused the TriAsia defence problems from the start, as did Ngoy Srin with his overlapping runs on the right-flank. It came as no surprise when Crown took the lead on 14 minutes. Khim Borey's cross was missed by Bisan but Srin appeared from nowhere to head the ball over the keeper and into the unguarded net. Soon after another Srin run and cross gave Oliveira his first chance, but he sent his header skidding wide and seconds later, sent a shot fizzing past the post. Dominating possession, Crown edged further ahead with a piece of Brazilian flair on 19 minutes. Borey's corner kick was headed back across the box by Odion Obadin and Oliveira, with his back to goal, hooked the ball over his head and the stranded keeper from fifteen yards out. A touch of magic. Bin Thierry fed Bisan and his quick feet opened up the goal but his finish let him down as his shot sailed wide. Even Srin got in on the act but he too, sent his drive wide from fifteen yards. With the first-half coming to an end, Oliveira bustled his way to the bye-line and sent over a hard cross which Kouch Sokumpheak just failed to get a decisive touch to. Crown went in 2-nil ahead and in charge in every department.

In the 2nd minute of the second period, the TriAsia keeper got a fingertip to a vicious Thierry corner that looked to be creeping in at the far post. It took just six minutes for Crown to pile on the heartache for TriAsia. Borey's cross was chased down by Bisan, who fed Neou Sosela and his drive was pushed aside by the keeper only for Oliveira to be the first to react and slam the ball home from eight yards out. Soon after Borey volleyed a Sosela cross past the far post. Sos Suhana entered the fray and his break down the right flank set up Crown's fourth on 63 minutes. Suhana's low cross was met by Thierry who fed Bisan and his return pass was dispatched into the net by the Khmer-French midfielder who has shone in Crown's last two matches. As Crown pummelled TriAsia, Bisan robbed the last defender and though he rounded the keeper, a defender got back to clear, while Borey's goal-bound cross was pushed onto the post by the keeper. The one-way traffic continued as Suhana broke into the box but fired his attempt just wide, he then had a shot saved, and the same outcome befell Jeong Ho Kim. Eleven minutes left on the clock and the South Korean striker netted Crown's fifth when he finished off a smart move involving Borey, Hong Pheng and Suhana. In the final move of the match, Thourng Da broke clear and sent over a perfect cross which a diving Borey headed inches wide. With the match won, Crown now have a week of intensive work on the training pitch ahead of their C-League opener next Saturday.
PPCFC v TriAsia: Yaty, Srin (Da 80), Pheng, Boris, Obadin (Makara 82), Sothy (Thierry 18), Sokumpheak, Oliveira (Kim 72), Borey, Sosela (Suhana 55), Bisan (Tola 72). Booked: Thierry. MOTM: Thierry. Goals: Srin (14), Oliveira (19, 51), Thierry (63), Kim(79).

The TriAsia line-up, well beaten 5-0 by PPCFC