Crown on top of the Academies

PPCFC line-up, back row, LtoR: N David, Chanmony, Saphy, Rafat, Sovannaroth, Samnang. Front: Kakada, Piseth, S David, Pisoth, Samel - click to enlarge

Result: Phnom Penh Crown Academy U-14s 4 FFC Academy U-14s 1 (Friendly).
Invited to play the Federation's new Academy team at their Tonle Bati headquarters, the younger Crown Academy boys offered up a footballing lesson for large parts of this match, played over 4x25 minute quarters, and will feel they should've won by a more convincing margin. The FFC youngsters  showed some nice touches but were devoid of a striking threat for much of the game. At the other end, Crown had a hatful of chances, which they failed to take, with Mao Piseth and Tong Chanmony sharing the majority of misses between them. Chanmony struck the post early on before the FFC boys took an 18th minute lead against the run of play with a bizarre own goal. Yoe Saphy struck a 40-yard back-pass to his own keeper and Kong Rafat, looking up to see who to pass to, allowed the ball to squirm under his foot and roll agonizingly across the goal-line. Red faces all around. Despite pretty much one way traffic in favour of Crown, and Piseth hitting the upright from wide right, it stayed 1-nil to the hosts until four minutes into the second quarter. Piseth picked up a rebound from San David's shot and poked it home. Soon after, the tricky ball-player weaved his way around half a dozen defenders but his shot was saved by the FFC keeper Bunnou. On 67 minutes, Nop David broke from midfield and crashed the ball in from fifteen yards for Crown's third, while Piseth was guilty of over-elaborating with a handful of great chances. In a rare break, the home team also struck the post. Four minutes into the fourth quarter, Piseth was rolled in by San David and this time he made no mistake. With five minutes remaining, Sin Kakada hammered a shot through a crowd of bodies for Crown's fourth. There was still time for Chanmony to lash a shot against the cross-bar. Ros Dara Pich, one of Crown's community youngsters was given game time with the Academy team for this match.
PPCFC U-14s v FFC: Rafat, Sovannaroth, Samel, Saphy, Samnang (Pich 86), N David (Kakada 49), S David, Pisoth, Chanmony, Kakada (Pich 42 (N David 51)), Piseth. MOTM: San David - tigerish performance and neat control. Goals: Piseth (29, 79 ), N David (67), Kakada (95).