Laboravy seals it

Khuon Laboravy scored the winning goal for Preah Khan Reach in extra time against a very tired Naga and then promptly got sent off, first for taking his shirt off in celebration and then for what the referee saw as time-wasting. So an inglorious end to his Hun Sen Cup final, but did he care - of course not, his goal won PKR the cup and he also picked up the Golden Boot for the 2nd year running, which pocketed him 1,000,000 riel. Whilst PKR's 2-1 win was predictable, the final itself was pretty poor fare as I watched it live on TVK. Chhim Sambo opened up for Naga, Prak Mony Udom levelled a minute before the interval and it was left to Laboravy to practically claim the cup for himself with the winner, his 22nd of the competition, in the second period of extra time. PKR get $20K for their win, and also claimed the top scorer and best keeper (Sar Sophea) prizes, whilst Naga got $10K for 2nd spot and also nicked the Fair Play award. The referee award went to the same guy it always goes to, Thong Chankethya, in my view the worst of the bunch.
Interesting to see three former Phnom Penh Crown players who've joined Naga after their release a couple of months ago but were suspended for the whole Hun Sen Cup competition and more, because of their behaviour at the AFC President's Cup last season, though they still went up to collect their runners-up medals. They were Thul Sothearith, Sun Sopanha and Sun Sovannrithy. I didn't see San Narith, who has also hooked up with Naga, but I'm sure he was there somewhere. The television coverage was pretty murky underneath the less than illuminating floodlights.

It's all the rage

As expected, National Police made short work of Chhlam Samuth in the 3rd place play-off for the Hun Sen Cup this afternoon, just 24 hours after the two teams lost out in the semi-finals. There seems to be a penchant for name changes this season with two Policemen sporting new monikers for the new campaign. Sophal Udom, Police captain and member of the national team squad from time to time, is now to be known as Srey Udom, and he put the Police ahead from the penalty spot. There other two goals, either side of half-time came courtesy of Long Nasy, who has undergone a transformation into So Rasy. Goodness knows how or why these players have changed their names. I know Cambodian coaches have a habit of tampering with player's dates of birth but have these players been playing under assumed names up til now? The FFC have previously accepted their old names and now their new versions, so they're involved. Perhaps they'd like to comment. The cup final is at 4pm tomorrow, between, as everyone guessed, Naga and Preah Khan. I expect the latter to repeat their success of last term and capture the cup. Naga have their own name changer in Choun Chum, who use to be Chin Chum, having played in the league and for the national team for a long time, but only now, decided to amend his identity. The plot thickens.

In training

The AFC A license coaching course has come to Phnom Penh. With 26 participants and overseen by an AFC instructor alongwith Naga coach Prak Sovannara, the course will last from today until 7 March at Cheng Meng. And it's pretty intensive according to Phnom Penh Crown coach David Booth, who successfully completed the same course in November in Manila. For him it was a 27-day straight through course and with just 4 successful passes out of 18 participants, the bar is raised high. So the coaches taking the current course will have their work cut out to pass. The participants include goalkeeping coach Prak Sovanny and player Hok Sochivorn from Phnom Penh Crown, Sochivorn's brother Hok Sochetra, a smattering of coaches from C-League teams including the Army, Police, Boeung Ket and BBU, Meas Channa, the Cambodian national team number 2, as well as Sam Schweingruber of the SALT Academy in Battambang.

A little bird has told me that some good news is imminent regarding the absence of one of Phnom Penh Crown's best players, sidelined through a ban that simply should've never been implemented. Too late to help Crown in their bid for the Hun Sen Cup but at least sense has prevailed at last, if the little bird is to be believed. I won't believe it until I see it typed up and signed by every member of the FFC executive committee.

The Hun Sen Cup semi-finals were held at Olympic today. I didn't go, as I had to work. Having the semi-finals of the country's top cup competition in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday stinks. In fact this whole competition stinks. The FFC have completely lost the plot in condensing it into a matter of days. For the record, the two obvious teams won through to Sunday's final, namely Preah Khan and Naga Corp. PKR beat National Police 4-0 with that man Laboravy getting two more goals to add to his growing tally. In the other semi, Naga, with Chhim Sambo netting twice, overcame Chhlam Smuth 4-0 as well. Just to make you laugh out loud, the 3rd place play-off is tomorrow, so the Police and Chhlam Samuth have to play again, 24 hours after their hard-fought semis. The FFC really are taking the piss.

Cup surprises

National Police are through to the cup semi-finals

The results from the other Hun Sen Cup quarter-finals, following on from Preah Khan Reach's 4-0 win over Crown, saw National Police spring a surprise in beating BBU 2-1, with two late goals. I'm pretty sure Police will now meet PKR in the semis, unless the federation have changed the draw, which is very likely. At the Olympic Stadium, Naga Corp needed a Teab Vathanak goal four minutes from the end to defeat Kirivong. And another shock lay in store in the last quarter-final with a defeat of the Army by Chhlam Samuth, on penalties, 1-1 after extra time then 6-5 on spot-kicks. That's a bit of poetic justice for the military boys who have stuck their oar in to deny Crown and Boeung Ket from fielding their strongest teams in this competition. The semi-final pairings look set to offer up a Naga v PKR cup final this coming Sunday, if everyone reads the script carefully. The semis are on Friday (tomorrow).

No excuses

"Okay lads let's get changed before the spectators arrive"

A final look at Phnom Penh Crown's Hun Sen Cup adventures for 2012. They were knocked out at the Quarter-Final stage again, by a well-drilled reigning cup holders Preah Khan Reach 4-0 this afternoon. No excuses, beaten by a better team on the day. It's a competition Crown have under-performed in for the last two years after winning the cup in 2008 and 2009. The match was played at the the appalling Army Stadium, where the teams were forced to change on the steps of the grandstand, for what is supposed to be a professional football competition. It makes me wince every time we play a match there. The pitch was as piss-poor as usual, with a bone-hard, uneven surface, a bounce that defies the law of gravity and large sections missing even a hint of grass. The federation need to have their heads examined if they think this ground is good enough to host the country's version of the FA Cup.

Coach David Booth has a captive audience

Discussing the role of the midfield trio

Kouch Sokumpheak leads out the Crown team

"Play it tight for the first 15 minutes" - an instruction that went unheeded

Referee Neang Sorithya in mid-toss with the captains looking on

Preah Khan Reach, 4-0 winners on the day

Tough lessons to learn

PPCFC v Preah Khan: Back Row LtoR: S Pheng, Seyha, Tiny, Chamrouen, H Pheng, Sovanna. Front: Sothy, Sovan, Suhana, Makara, Sokumpheak

If you hand a team like Preah Khan Reach guilt-edged opportunities as early as the first minute of a cup tie, then you know you are in for a tough task. And so it proved for Phnom Penh Crown in today's Hun Sen Cup Quarter-Final. With coach David Booth admitting beforehand that the match was a "tough game for my team, but it will show where we are at this moment," whilst a "keep it tight for the first fifteen minutes" was his advice to his starting line-up, his new-look charges gifted their old foes a goal in the first minute. Tim Saray's hopeful center found Khuon Laboravy in all kinds of space at the far post and without a marker in sight, he made no mistake from fifteen yards out. It was a punch in the kidneys for Booth and his boys, and easy pickings for the cup's top scorer. But two minutes later it could've all been so different. Tieng Tiny's free-kick from 25 yards out found the head of the diving Kouch Sokumpheak but his firm header cleared the crossbar by inches and the chance to level was lost. Two excellent reaction saves by Crown stopper Sam Chamrouen, first from Sok Rithy's close range volley and then from Laboravy, after he'd outpaced Leng Makara, earned the admiration of his teammates. But it was to no avail as another schoolboy howler gifted PKR their second goal on 19 minutes. Chhun Sovanna tried to play his way out of a tight spot, was robbed of the ball leaving Laboravy with a sprint into the box and a low center that was easily converted by Phany Rotha at the far post. As if that wasn't bad enough, eight minutes later, Sok Sovan repeated his teammates' faux pas, losing the ball to Sok Chanraksmey and he rolled the ball across the face of goal to give Laboravy the easiest of tap-ins. Crown had given themselves a veritable mountain to climb.

Kouch Sokumpheak was wayward with a couple of half chances as the interval approached and Hong Pheng was equally wasteful on the stroke of half-time. Crown did their best to get back into the tie after the break but found the bumpy pitch, and their opponents, hard to dominate. Hong Pheng leaned back and fired wildly over, whilst Sok Pheng blasted the ball into the side netting after Sokumpheak fed him in the box. PKR keeper Sar Sophea flapped at an Ouk Sothy free-kick, but recovered to tip Hong Pheng's rebound header an inch past the far post. Sokumpheak and Sok Pheng had further attempts, the latter's 30-yard grubber was held by Sophea diving to his right, but with eight minutes remaining, Sok Pheng lost his cool, was booked for dissent, and ordered off for his second caution of the game. That mountain just got considerably tougher for Crown. Chamrouen again showed his quick reactions with a stunning double save from Chea Samnang as PKR used their numerical advantage well, but also saw red with a minute of the tie to go. Prak Mony Udom sprang through Crown's backline and the goalkeeper touched his foot, sending the striker sprawling. Referee Neang Sorithya brandished the red card despite Chamrouen's protestations, leaving Udom to fire the penalty past substitute keeper Am Oudom a minute into time added on. It was the final nail in a weighty coffin for Crown to bear.

David Booth's succinct, "Three mistakes, three goals. It's as simple as that," summed up his team's first-half ineptitude and signalled the groundwork that the English coach will have to focus on before the start of the league season in a couple of months. His team is young and inexperienced, even compared to PKR's youthful line-up, and today it was clear for all to see. The loss of Khim Borey to the football federation's appalling shenanigans was a real blow to Crown's confidence before the game, but individual errors in key areas of the pitch are going to be punished by a team of PKR's calibre. Those are some of the lessons that must be learned by Booth's youngsters.
PPCFC line-up: Chamrouen, Makara, Seyha, Tiny, Sovan, Sovanna, Sothy, Suhana, Sok Pheng, Hong Pheng (Oudom 91), Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Ary, Dara, Da, Vanthan, Lika, Kimhor, Srin, Sophanal, Sochivorn. Bookings: Sovan, S Pheng (+ red card 82), Chamrouen (straight red card 89).

Kouch Sokumpheak focusing on the game ahead. Khuon Laboravy (11) also in shot.

The teams introduce themselves to each other

Out on their ear

Final words from the coach before Crown step over the line

Phnom Penh Crown were dumped unceremoniously out of the Hun Sen Cup this afternoon, by a clinical and workmanlike performance from old foes Preah Khan Reach. Three schoolboy howlers by Crown in the first-half left them with a mountain to climb and the final minute 4th was just another kick in the teeth that left Crown battered and bleeding with a 4-0 deficit. It wasn't a pretty sight, as Crown exited the cup competition at the quarter-final stage for the 2nd year running. It's certainly a wake-up call for the new-look team, who found themselves up against well-drilled opponents, who didn't take any prisoners, as they look set to hold onto the cup they won last term. As he left the pitch, Crown coach David Booth said; "Three mistakes, three goals. It's as simple as that." It was Booth's first defeat against domestic opposition since his arrival eight months ago. More from the match later.

Cup draws

The final matches of Group C and D in the Hun Sen Cup were played yesterday and the quarter-finals, to be played tomorrow, were decided. Preah Khan Reach fielded a young team and thumped Stung Treng at Olympic Stadium 13-1. Khuon Laboravy stood on the goal-line and netted 11 goals (7 of them in the 1st half) to take his competition tally to 17. He won the Golden Boot last season with 22 goals. They now meet Phnom Penh Crown in the 1.45pm kick-off at Army Stadium tomorrow. BBU thrashed Koh Kong 8-2 but shared the goals around the team. As the 2nd team in Group C, they meet the winners of Group D, National Police at 4pm tomorrow. The Police went to town on luckless Kratie, winning 22-0 with 7 goals apiece from Srey Udom and Man Ritavann amongst that tally. The Police's goal difference was 23 compared to Crown's 17, after the latter beat Boeung Ket 1-0, courtesy of a Kouch Sokumpheak goal. The other QF's will involve Naga, who walked over Battambang 10-0 with Teab Vathanak netting 7 goals, who meet Kirivong, while the Army face off against Chhlam Samuth, both games at the Olympic Stadium.

The draw for the pointless Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy in Brunei for U-21 teams + overage players has been made. The tournament dates have been extended to get all the games in and Cambodia will kick off the tournament against Vietnam on 24 Feb in Group B. There's nothing like getting a good thumping in your 1st game, though Vietnam might give Cambodia a chance by fielding their youth team. Cambodia then face the following matches: 26 Feb versus Malaysia; 2 Mar v Timor Leste; 4 Mar v Thailand. The final will take place on 9 Mar. Don't expect Cambodia to get anywhere near it.

Leading from the front

PPCC v Boeung Ket. Back Row LtoR: Tiny, Sothy, H Pheng, Chamrouen, Socanna, Sovan. Front: S Pheng, Seyha, Makara, Suhaha, Sokumpheak

Group D of the Hun Sen Cup was decided by this afternoon's matches at the Army Stadium. Phnom Penh Crown defeated Boeung Ket 1-0 to knock the Kompong Cham-based team out and then National Police ran riot against a demoralised Kratie team, winning 22-0 and claiming top spot in the group at the same time. It means that Crown now face Preah Khan Reach in a mouth-watering quarter-final on Wednesday, same venue, at 1.45pm, whilst Police meet BBU a little later.

For Crown, the talismanic Kouch Sokumpheak, given the captain's armband by coach David Booth for today's game, led by example and scored the only goal of the match to win the tie. And it was a goal worthy of winning any match as the striker began the move from deep and finished it with a blistering drive from a tight angle that gave the Boeung Ket keeper no chance. More of that later. Needing a victory to qualify themselves, Boeung Ket began like a train and their former Crown starlet, Keo Sokngorn twice came closest to scoring. On six minutes he flashed a header inches too high and then struck the cross-bar with a long distance speculative free-kick four minutes later, that Sam Chamrouen in the Crown goal, mysteriously left. Fifteen minutes in and Crown's first real effort saw Sok Pheng's twenty yard shot deflected wide. Soon after, Sokumpheak fed Pheng and his shot on the turn was parried out by opposition goalkeeper Sin Pisal, with no-one following up. Ouk Sothy was next to try his luck for Crown but Lor Pichseyla blocked the attempt. The last action of the first-half saw Sok Pheng again test Pisal with a stinging drive but to no avail as the keeper blocked it low down.

After the interval, Crown maintained their grip on possession and Sokumpheak was off target with a glancing header from a Hong Pheng cross twelve minutes in. The Crown captain then began and ended a quick-passing move with Sos Suhana by unleashing a powerful drive across the face of Sin Pisal and into the Boeung Ket net on 68 minutes. It was his 11th goal of the competition and an unstoppable effort that livened up the tense game considerably. Boeung Ket's best chance of an equaliser fell again to Sokngorn on 73 minutes. Yob Romaton set him up with a chested ball down but the Boeung Ket skipper's flashing drive sailed over the crossbar from the edge of the area and their fate was effectively sealed. After his 12 goals two days before, Sokngorn's shooting boots were definitely not in good working order. The game petered out into a scrappy finale with too many free-kicks, injuries, bookings and then a straight red card in injury time when Touch Pancharong left his foot in on Crown's Chhun Sovanna as he made a clearance. It's a characteristic of Pancharong's game that he regularly lets himself, and his team down. He had a dust up with Phoung Narong last season and now with Sovanna, all three of them were colleagues at Crown in the past.

Winning coach David Booth mused on the tie: "I thought we worked hard throughout the team today. They started well, passed the ball well for 15 minutes but then we got into the game and controlled it for the rest of the match. Our defending was good, the midfield did well, in fact the whole team did well today. I started with Makara at full-back in Dara's absence. He's usually a striker but I've seen him in training, how hard he works and runs and I knew he could play there, and he did. We must remember that we had only 2 players playing - Sokumpheak and Tiny - who were regulars last season. We have a lot of boys who are not experienced at this level. So we've not done too bad with this team so far." When asked about the situation with Khim Borey, still suspended by the federation and kicking his heels in the stands this afternoon, Booth said: "I don't have any faith in the federation resolving this issue. It's been going on for far too long already. I don't know what the Army are trying to prove by stopping him from playing football. It's a real shame what the Army are doing to the boy."

PPCFC line-up: Chamrouen, Makara (Sophanal 82), Seyha, Tiny, Sovan, Sovanna, Sothy, Suhana, Sok Pheng, Hong Pheng (Sochivorn 78), Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Ary, Oudom, Da, Vanthan, Lika, Kimhor, Srin. Bookings: Seyha, Makara, Sothy. Referee: Khuon Virak.

Kouch Sokumpheak shakes hands with Keo Sokngorn of Boeung Ket

A final team huddle before the kick-off

The Crown bench before the start

Kouch Sokumpheak leads out the Crown team this afternoon

Sokumpheak stretches in the tunnel before the start

Kouch Sokumpheak, stretches before the game

Leng Makara, facing camera, gets ready for his full Crown debut, at full-back

Captain Fanastic Seals It

Captain for the day, Kouch Sokumpheak (10) in the tunnel before today's game

Phnom Penh Crown did a professional job on newcomers Boeung Ket Rubber Field at the Army Stadium this afternoon, winning 1-0 to book their passage to the next round of the Hun Sen Cup. There's something about the armband with Crown this week, as Kouch Sokumpheak, today's recipient, hit a scorching drive on 68 minutes to settle the tie in Crown's favour. Leading by example, as he usually does, he led the line and moved back into midfield to shore it up as his teammates were falling by the wayside. Crown began sluggishly but controlled the game after the twenty minute mark and never really looked like conceding to the Kompong Cham-based team, who are newboys in the C-League this year. More from the game later.

Cambodian football suffers

I really do despair at the shenanigans going on between the Army and the football federation. In itself it's a microcosm of the ills that affect everyday life throughout Cambodia. The powerful and wealthy flex their muscles (in this case the Army), the paper-pushers do what they're told (the FFC) and the small man at the foot of the chain is the one to suffer (the player). The Cambodian football federation's refusal to allow Khim Borey to play in Saturday's Hun Sen Cup match against the National Police was another kick in the teeth to a player who doesn't know whether he's coming or going. And we are talking about one of the country's very best footballers over the past four or five years. The Army have been unhappy since Borey joined Phnom Penh Crown before the start of last season. He was out of his playing contract with the Army team and as a free agent, he moved across to join Crown. The Army weren't happy and threw a spanner in the works immediately, with the FFC jumping on the bandwagon and refusing to allow him to play in last season's Hun Sen Cup competition. The problem went away for a few months as Borey, with the FFC's agreement, linked up with Thai Premier Division club Sisaket, but resurfaced when he returned to Crown at the back-end of the C-League season. He was again denied his place in the last few league matches by the FFC with no reason given. In an about face, the FFC did give their thumbs up for his inclusion in the AFC President's Cup finals in Taiwan and all seemed set for the new season. Borey took his place in the Crown line-up for their opening Hun Sen Cup tie against Kratie last week and scored. Then, on Friday, Crown received a letter from the FFC again saying Borey was ineligible, as the Army had again raised their previous objections, saying that as a member of the Army he couldn't play for anyone else. Despite a last-minute appeal, Borey's name was scrubbed from the start list. The player himself was crestfallen. He thought the kerfuffle had been resolved, only for the Army to stick their oar in again (and have now added Boeung Ket's Sin Dalin to their objection targets) and leave him high and dry.

This problem has now been on the FFC's table for a year with Army claiming he's still with them, whilst Crown have a contract with the player, having abided by FIFA rules and regulations in signing him. The FFC remain completely ineffectual, having changed their minds twice already to allow Borey to play in Taiwan and then against Kratie, before the latest ban. The Army obviously hold great sway over the FCC leadership and are prepared to do anything they can to ruin the player's career. For them, it's not about the player, but more the flexing of their muscle to show everyone who's boss when it comes to Cambodian football. As I inferred at the beginning, it clearly demonstrates that Cambodia and its football remain locked in the Stone Age, unable to shake off the shackles of its past. Basically the Army's ultimatum is this; play for us or play for no-one. Players like Borey and Dalin wish to further their football career but the Army will do everything in their power, which is considerable, to deny them their livelihood. And the federation, who should be protecting player's rights, simply look the other way. Safeguards against this restriction of livelihood need to be introduced, which could include a player's union for example, the federation need to act like a real federation and abide by the rules of FIFA over player's transfers and contracts, and the Army must decide whether they are a military unit that wears football boots or they are a separate professional football club, and if the latter, they should act like one.

Tiny to the rescue

PPCFC v National Police. Back Row LtoR: Dara, H Pheng, Chamrouen, Seyha, S Pheng, Tiny. Front: Suhana, Sothy, Sovan, Sovanna, Sokumpheak

The absence of Khim Borey from the Phnom Penh Crown starting line-up meant a last-minute change to coach David Booth's gameplan and it showed as Crown began their Hun Sen Cup Group D match against National Police in sluggish mode at the Olympic Stadium. The first action of note took place in the 13th minute when Crown's new keeper Sam Chamrouen flapped at a cross and a few minutes later, came out to challenge Srey Udom, who went down as if he'd been shot, with referee Chuob Visal having none of it. Crown were looking a pale shadow of the team that walloped Kratie 16-0 two days earlier but should've taken the lead on 27 minutes. A disguised free-kick set up Ouk Sothy in space, ten yards out, but his shot cleared the crossbar and the chance was gone. Another free-kick gave Sok Pheng time and space to send a 25-yard drive goalwards, only for Police stopper Thong Chanraksmey to push it around the foot of his post. Hong Pheng went close on his Crown starting debut with a backward header on 36 minutes, which Chanraksmey did well to fingertip past the post as he backpedalled. Crown had the better of the first half but were still waiting to click into top gear.

The Police began the second half with more purpose and Crown keeper Chamrouen had to be alert to catch Noun Borey's downward header. Police looked to the linesman when Srey Udom's close range header was ruled offside, but it was the correct decision, though they were much happier on 58 minutes when Tith Dina's first-time strike from 30 yards out fizzed past Chamrouen and nestled inside the net. The ball fell kindly to Dina and his hit 'n' hope dipper caught Chamrouen by surprise. Crown's day went from bad to worse on 69 minutes when Chan Dara was dismissed for a deliberate trip as Ngoun Chansothea broke through the defensive back-line. Dara was caught for pace and his ankle-tap as Chansothea looked to enter the box was cynical, leaving referee Visal no option but to produce a straight red card. Dina launched the free-kick miles over the bar. A couple of minutes later and Crown skipper Tieng Tiny registered his intentions when his 40 yard punt into the penalty area was fumbled over his head by Chanraksmey, whose blushes were saved when Say Piseth hooked the ball off the goal-line.

Chanraksmey stood firm to punch away another Tiny goal-bound effort soon after and then acrobatically denied Kouch Sokumpheak, when the Crown striker whipped in a shot on the turn that had goal written all over it. Sokumpheak held his head in his hands. A minute later, Crown coach Booth sent on the experienced campaigner Hok Sochivorn as skipper Tiny prepared to take a free-kick. He curled in the dead ball from 35 yards out, from the left-side touchline, which Chanraksmey saw coming but took his eye off the flight as Sochivorn challenged and the ball ended up in the net. Tiny claimed the goal, Sochivorn concurred and Crown had come back from the dead to share the spoils with his match-saving equalizer arriving on 86 minutes. Five minutes of injury time produced a Sok Pheng hit and hope that sailed harmlessly wide and the match ended all-square. Crown will meet newcomers Boeung Ket Rubber Field on Monday 6 Feb (2pm at Army Stadium) and need a point to progress to the knock-out stage of the Hun Sen Cup. Boeung Ket demolished the hapless Kratie 17-1 in the 2nd game of the day, with Keo Sokngorn netting no less than 12 times, as his teammates lined-up to lay his chances on a plate in an obvious attempt to earn him the Golden Boot award.
PPCFC line-up: Chamrouen, Dara, Seyha, Tiny, Sovan, Sovanna (Sochivorn 85), Sothy, Suhana, Sok Pheng, Hong Pheng (Makara 61), Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Ary, Oudom, Da, Vanthan, Lika, Kimhor, Sophanal, Srin, Borey. Bookings: Suhana, Tiny, Dara (red card). Referee: Chuob Visal.

Tieng Tiny and Srey Udom are the opposing captains

Tieng Tiny leads out the Crown starting line-up

David Booth giving his team last-minute instructions in the changing rooms

The National Police starting line-up

Hong Pheng, moments after he's told he's making his starting debut

Crown scrape a point

There's no hiding behind the fact that Phnom Penh Crown were woefully under the level of performance demanded by their coach David Booth today. And he left them in no doubt about that after the final whistle. A freak goal four minutes shy of the ninety from skipper Tieng Tiny's 35-yard free-kick out on the left-side touchline, levelled the tie at 1-1 but it was touch and go and Crown can count themselves a mite fortunate. National Police offered only mediocre resistance and led through a hit 'n' hope from Tith Dina 13 minutes after the interval but it was Crown's inability to keep the ball and string their passes together, as well as losing full-back Chan Dara to a straight red card with twenty minutes remaining, that will need remedying before Monday's final Hun Sen Cup Group D decider with Boeung Ket.

The main talking point before, during and after the match however, was the Cambodian football federation's refusal to allow Khim Borey to take his place in the Crown starting line-up. It's believed the Army team wrote to the FFC demanding that Borey and Boeung Ket's Sin Dalin, both former Army players, should not be allowed to play, and the FFC fell into line with their command. Borey's name was scrubbed from the start list. The Army did exactly the same in last season's Hun Sen Cup and Borey was left kicking his heels then as he was today. Crown appealed the decision thirty minutes before the start of the game and Borey was allowed to be named as one of the substitute's, which in itself makes a mockery of the FFC's decision. It left the Crown line-up depleted and the team's game-plan with last minute changes.
More from today's match later.

Hun Sen Cup action

The National Police team prior to their 1-0 win over Boeung Ket

So what's been happening in the early games in the Hun Sen Cup you ask? Well, after Phnom Penh Crown whacked 16 goals past Kratie without reply (with Kouch Sokumpheak grabbing a personal haul of 10 goals), the other two teams in Group D, National Police and Boeung Ket Rubber Field were better matched and it took a penalty from Srey Udom four minutes from the end to separate the two teams. Crown now take on the Police tomorrow at the Olympic Stadium at 2pm, followed by Boeung Ket against Kratie. Police have added speedy winger Nov Soseila to their line-up this season after the former Army man has spent nearly two years kicking his heels due to shenanigans by the military outfit. It's great to see him back in action. In Group C, Preah Khan Reach kicked off with a comprehensive 8-1 win over Koh Kong and Khuon Laboravy was amongst the goals again with half a dozen. He was last season's cup Golden Boot winner with 22 goals. BBU put Stung Treng to the sword, winning 9-2 and Chhun Sothearath netted a hat-trick. Over in Group B, the teams have both played twice. Army looked easy 5-0 winners over Asia Euro University but then stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Kirivong this afternoon. Kirivong edged past Kampot 3-2 in their first game, while AEU put six past Kampot without reply. Finally to Group A, where Teab Vathanak was on song for Naga with 5 goals in their 9-0 thrashing of Pailin. Then Naga faltered and conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Chhlam Samuth earlier today. Chhlam Samuth beat Battambang 5-2 in their first match, though the 2nd city team beat neighbours Pailin 1-0 today. Tomorrow's matches will give us a better view of how the teams are poised in Groups C and D, ahead of the final group matches on Sunday and Monday. The games are coming thick and fast.

A window on today's game

Chan Dara donned the captain's armband for Crown this afternoon

More pictures from this afternoon's Hun Sen Cup encounter between Phnom Penh Crown and Kratie. It didn't look promising when the boys from the Mekong River town only appeared with 13 players and two of them were goalkeepers. They were already 9-nil down when their skipper was sent off for a second bookable offence, which was a bit harsh I must say. The pitch was as much a nightmare as it was last season and is simply not conducive to playing attractive football. The players simply don't know what the ball is going to do next. On a good surface, the scoreline could've looked even more embarrassing, so in that respect, it worked in Kratie's favour. Crown tried to play their passing game, which went as well as possible on such a crap playing surface, but the uneven bounce and bobble made it hard work. The lack of changing rooms, leaving the players to get changed in the stand and the playing surface simply shows up what an unsuitable venue the Army Stadium is for any competition, let alone Cambodia's FA Cup. The decision by the football federation to squeeze all the matches into twelve days beggars belief.

Half-time team talk by the coach

The 'bench' moments before the start of the game, including 7 team officials

Kratie, with holes already showing in their team line-up

Chan Dara leads out the Crown team in red and black

David Booth talks tactics with his 3-player strikeforce

David Booth doing the rounds before kick-off

Khim Borey in sprinting mode

David Booth speaks to Sok Sovan, whilst the others enjoy a joke

These are the Army Stadium changing rooms - a sorry state of affairs

Bayon TV's view of the press conference earlier this week

Khim Borey on Bayon TV earlier this week

Goal by goal, all 16 of them

PPCFC v Kratie: Back Row LtoR: Sam Chamrouen, Ouk Sothy, Tieng Tiny, Sok Sovan, Chan Dara, Khim Borey. Front: Sok Pheng, Men Seyha, Sos Suhana, Kouch Sokumpheak, Chhun Sovanna

He wears the number 10 jersey, so presumably Kouch Sokumpheak felt he had to live up to his number in this afternoon's Hun Sen Cup tie against Kratie. Three goals in the 1st half and then another seven after the interval by one individual is pretty good going in anyone's book. Phnom Penh Crown coach David Booth said after the game; "I left him on the pitch as he got married, had some time off, so for his own benefit, fitness-wise, I felt he should stay on the pitch." That decision certainly paid rich dividends as Sokumpheak led Crown to a massive 16-0 victory in the first of their three Group D matches. Booth gave six players their Hun Sen Cup debuts including Khim Borey, who was barred from last year's competition. In the 2nd minute, their new giant of a keeper, Sam Chamrouen nervously fumbled a cross and Kratie poked their only chance of the game wide of the post. They simply weren't in it after that. With Crown playing a quick passing game, despite the grass and mud surface that made such football a tough proposition in the conditions, Kratie were chasing shadows for the rest of the game. Ouk Sothy and Chhun Sovanna were particularly noticeable in the middle of the park for Crown, playing neat interchanges before releasing their three-pronged strikeforce, though the Crown forwards did their fair share of winning the ball and setting themselves on a course for their opponents goal. You won't be surprised to hear Crown missed a hatful of chances in the game. The most glaring misses befell Sok Pheng and Ouk Sothy in the first half, and Hong Pheng in the 2nd, though Sokumpheak himself had another half a dozen chances which were blocked by the Kratie goalkeeper, Mean Kiara. The visitors were reduced to ten men just after the hour when their skipper, Pha Kolboth picked up a 2nd yellow and saw red. It certainly wasn't that type of game to warrant a booking, let alone a dismissal.

Here are the goals:
1st half: 15 mins - Chan Dara short pass to Sokumpheak who left a defender on his arse and slid the ball through to Sok Pheng on the right side of the area. Pheng rounded the keeper and slotted in from a tight angle.
25 mins - Khim Borey slipped a pass inside the full-back and Sokumpheak waited for his moment before lashing his shot inside the near post.
28 mins - Ouk Sothy broke forward, fed Khim Borey, who cut inside and whacked in a 20-yard drive that sailed into the top corner.
31 mins - Chhun Sovanna won a tackle, left another defender in his wake and finished coolly with a neat sidefoot shot.
40 mins - Sos Suhana fed Sokumpheak wide on the left, he nipped past the last defender, opened up his body and rolled the ball across the keeper and in at the far post.
44 mins - Tieng Tiny's headed cross was headed goalwards by Borey, but was saved and Sokumpheak's rebound shot hit a hand and nestled in the net. The referee gave a penalty for the handball offence. Sokumpheak sent his penalty high into the roof of the net. 6-0 and three for No 10.

2nd half: 56 mins - Borey linked up again with Sokumpheak, and the goal-machine took his time and picked his spot from fifteen yards out.
57 mins - Sokumpheak broke into the penalty area and onto Sok Pheng's pass, only for the keeper, Mean Kiara to trip him. Sokumpheak got up, dusted himself down and sent the penalty kick into the top corner.
60 mins - Suhana fed Sokumpheak on the right, he rounded the keeper and fired his shot straight and true from a very acute angle.
65 mins - Chan Dara and Hong Pheng combined on the right wing, Pheng sent in a hard and low cross and Leng Makara, just on 4 mins earlier, tapped into an empty net.
68 mins - Hong Pheng's byeline cross was volleyed in by Sokumpheak at close range.
77 mins - Makara's left-wing cross to the far post was chested down by Sokumpheak and he calmly rolled in his 8th goal.
78 mins - Sothy's pass put Sokumpheak in space, he took his time and drove in his shot from 10 yards out.
84 mins - Men Seyha broke down the left wing, and his byeline cross was tapped in by Sokumpheak from six yards out, for his 10th goal of the game.
87 mins - Sothy's driving run into the box, and his byeline pull-back was powerfully headed in by Leng Makara.
90+1 mins - Sothy robbed the last man and rolled the ball to Makara who fired in the game's 16th goal from a wide angle.

Crown head coach David Booth was pleased with the result. After the match, he commented; "We scored early on, which helped to settle us. Apart from the pitch, I was pleased with our performance, as we kept running, kept passing and kept working hard for each other. We made lots of chances, and we scored lots of goals which always helps to build up confidence,. We had a lot of new players playing today. I want to win every game and its important to find out if the new players can play under pressure. Today we did well. Our midfield gave the ball away a lot early on, but got better as the game wore on. I demanded that we pressed the opposition at the right time and we did it very well, stopping them playing out. I took off Sok Pheng as I want him to be ready for the next game and mistakenly took Borey off as I thought he had a knock. I felt a bit for the opposition, there was no need for the red card and it made it hard for them." Crown now face the stiffer task of National Police on Saturday at the Olympic Stadium at 2pm. Police won a close game with Boeung Ket with a late Srey Udom penalty, 1-0 immediately after the Crown match.
PPCFC line-up: Chamrouen, Dara (capt), Seyha, Tiny (Lika 65), Sovan, Sovanna, Sothy, Suhana, Sok Pheng (Hong Pheng 60), Borey (Makara 61), Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Ary, Oudom, Da, Vanthan, Srin, Kimhor, Sophanal, Sochivorn. Bookings: None. Ref: Saing Sopheak.

Coach David Booth tells Sokumpheak he's expecting another 7 goals in the 2nd half. The striker duly obliged.

Sokumpheak scores from the penalty spot on 57 minutes

Last minute instructions from the coach to his starting eleven

Leng Makara scored a hat-trick on his debut as a substitute for the last 30 minutes

Crown's new look squad

The new look PPCFC playing squad in a recent photo with Italy star Fabio Cannavaro

The Phnom Penh Crown 23-man playing squad for the Hun Sen Cup, which begins with a tie against Kratie on Thursday, was announced at a press conference this morning. It looks like this. The new signings are marked with * and the player's previous club is in brackets. More on each player in due course.

Goalkeepers: *Sam Chamrouen (Chhlam Samuth), *Yok Ary (Prek Pra), *Am Oudom (Western University).

Defenders: Chan Dara (Khemara), Soeng Vanthan (Phnom Penh Empire), Sok Sovan (Phnom Penh Empire), Tieng Tiny (Naga), *Vi Lika (Prek Pra), *Thourng Da (Army), *Ngoy Srin (Koh Kong), *Men Seyha (Western Univ), *Maliky Rahan (Prek Pra).

Midfielders: Koem Sophanal (Stung Treng), *Ouk Sothy (Flying Bikes), *Chhun Sovanna (Phnom Penh Empire), *Sos Suhana (Prek Pra), *Ly Kimhor (no previous club).

Forwards: Kouch Sokumpheak (Khemara), Khim Borey (Army), Hong Pheng (Baksey Chamkrong), Sok Pheng (Khemara), Hok Sochivorn (Stung Treng), *Leng Makara (Kirivong).

Conference call

Phnom Penh Crown will stage a press conference tomorrow morning at 11am to announce their new squad for the coming season, including 13 new signings, as well as presenting their new playing kit and sponsors, their 2012 Academy plans and other club news that includes a new Crown-branded restaurant opening soon opposite the Olympic Stadium. Their 23-man squad for the Hun Sen Cup, which starts against Kratie on Thursday this week, includes 10 players remaining from last season's squad, of which only four were regular members of the team that won the C-League Championship (namely Tiny, Dara, Sokumpheak and Sok Pheng). So whichever way you look at it, Crown's team this season is going to be a work in progress from day 1. They certainly don't possess the experienced campaigners that the club boasted last season.

The Hun Sen Cup group matches begin on Wednesday this week. The top eight teams in last year's C-League meet the eight qualifiers from the five regional groups from round 1 of the competition. On Wednesday and Thursday, there will be two games per day at both the Army Stadium and at the Olympic Stadium. In Group A on Wednesday, Chhlam Samuth meet Battambang and Pailin face the might of Naga at Olympic, whilst at the Army Stadium, also known as the Old Stadium, AEU meet the Army and Kirivong face Kampot in Group B. On Thursday, BBU take on Stung Treng, whilst Preah Khan Reach meet Koh Kong, at Olympic in Group C. The 2pm kick-off at Army Stadium will be Phnom Penh Crown against Kratie, followed by the other Group D match, National Police against Boeung Ket Rubber Field. Matches continue for each team with 3 games spaced over five days. The qualifiers move onto the quarter-finals which will take place on 8 February, the semi-finals two days later and the final on 12 February. That's 32 matches squeezed into twelve days of competition. I hope the players are up to the task. The football federation have not exactly given anyone much breathing space.

Early start

David Booth shows exactly what he's expecting of his players

In a few days time, Phnom Penh Crown begin their 2012 season in earnest. On Thursday of next week they meet provincial qualifiers Kratie at the Army Stadium in the first of three Hun Sen Cup matches in the space of five days. Crown head coach David Booth has been working on fitness, teamwork and tactics for the past six weeks after finalizing his squad following the completion of trials early in December. Gelling more than a dozen new arrivals with the players remaining from last season's squad has been the highest priority. Today's early morning training session was spent practicing a series of free-kick situations, corner-kicks and penalties. Tomorrow's 7am session will be more of the same. On Tuesday next week, the club will hold a press conference with the local media to look ahead to the upcoming campaign, introduce the club's new faces, playing kit and updates from the club's Academy.

In motion for this Khim Borey free-kick

Organizing free-kicks and set pieces is an important part of the team's training

David Booth directing his troops

Wrapping up training with words from the head coach