Turgid final

Kim Borey, PPCFC skipper, collects the Fair Play cheque

PPCFC line-up with their two cheques for 3rd Place and Fair Play

I had to drag myself kicking and screaming to write a report from Saturday's Hun Sen Cup Final debacle. It lacked everything you would wish from a final; excitement, entertainment and skill. Both teams were completely clueless about how to break the other team down and as a result we had to endure 120 minutes of turgid football. The only event of note within the entire 90+30 minutes extra time was a disallowed goal by referee Thong Chankethya, who else. Sun Sovannrithy fired goalwards on 23 minutes and Army's normally-reliable keeper Sou Yaty made a hash of catching it, let it slip through his fingers and watched as it crossed the line. At least two Naga players were standing on or near the goal-line and though they didn't touch it, the linesman flagged and the goal was cancelled out. The offside rules have been so buggered about with these days that no-one really has the definitive answer as to whether it should've stood or not. In the event, Chankethya ruled it out. So it went to penalties, as did both of the semi-finals, and it was Naga who kept their nerve, scoring all five of theirs whilst Thong Udom missed the Army's opener and left the door open for Naga to win 5-3 on spot-kicks. Through the crocodile tears of joy, Naga collected the trophy and a nice cheque with Choun Chum getting MVP and Phorn Ratana, top keeper, of the tournament. Both decisions I find impossible to fathom. Boeung Ket's precocious talent Chan Vathanaka collected the Golden Boot, while Phnom Penh Crown banked 3rd place medals and cheque and the Fair Play award.

Naga, finally won the Hun Sen Cup in their 4th final

Army, 1 missed penalty and they lose the cup final

Makara on song

PPCFC line-up: Back Row LtoR: Seiha, Boris, Srin, Thierry, Hasan, Lika. Front: Da, Suhana, Makara, Dani, Pheng - click to enlarge

The two most disappointed teams in this season's Hun Sen Cup competition, as they both lost their semi-finals on penalty-kicks, met at the Olympic Stadium this afternoon, under a sweltering sun. Phnom Penh Crown were without top scorer Khim Borey, out with a hamstring injury, so Hong Pheng got the nod as the target man and also wore the captain's armband. Crown began strongly and dominated possession for the majority of the first-half. Bin Thierry screwed his first shot badly wide but soon after got on the end of a well-rehearsed corner kick routine and his goal-bound effort was deflected past the upright by the head of defender Nhim Sovannara. From Sos Suhana's corner, Kirivong keeper Kem Makara didn't get any distance on his punch and Leng Makara sent a looping header into the top of the net from twelve yards out for a 7th minute opener for Crown. Skipper Pheng chipped an attempt into Makara's hands and then sent a 25-yard drive skidding inches wide of the upright, whilst Thierry's free-kick out wide curled past the far post. With so much one-way traffic, Kirivong made two changes and finally began to offer some resistance before the interval.

With Thierry in midfield offering up his best game in Crown colours, his team continued to pull the strings. The Khmer-French import fired straight at Makara just after the break and then Mart Hasan took too much time at the far post only to see his shot blocked. Crown lost Kok Boris to a hamstring pull, making their own double substitution with twenty minutes remaining. Ek Vannak sent Kirivong's best effort high and wide after weaving past two defenders but it was little comfort for the Takeo-based team who offered up far too little offensively. Crown substitute Ouk Sothy curled a drive just past the post and Thierry tried his luck again from distance but without worrying Makara. Samrith Seiha was quick to spot a dangerous long ball and cleared his area before Crown finally sealed the result with a second goal on 83 minutes. Pheng fed Suhana on the edge of the Kirivong area and he in turn squeezed a pass out to Makara on the right side of the box and his aim was true as he stroked the ball into the far corner. Two-nil and coasting. With five minutes left on the clock, a sweeping move of high quality brought Crown a deserved third. A quick-fire one-two between Sothy and the lively Makara, allowed the latter to get behind the Kirivong defence and his timely center was tapped home by a jubilant skipper, Hong Pheng, from six yards out. There was still time for Kirivong's In Vichheka to see red, when he lashed out at Suhana and referee Chi Samedy wasted no time in flashing a straight red card a minute after Crown's third goal. For good measure, Thierry tried one more attempt on goal, only to see it fly wide and the final whistle was blown as Crown secured third place in the Hun Sen Cup competition and prize money of $5,000.

For Crown coach Sam Schweingruber it was a pleasing outcome. "3-0 was deserved. We had to wait too long for the 2nd goal to finish the game off, but the result was a fair reflection of how much stronger we were. I don't think Kirivong had any dangerous situations in the whole game, we didn't allow them to play. Even without Borey we created chances but we took too long to capitalise on them. For the last three months we've worked with Borey up front and haven't worked enough with Pheng. He isn't Borey, he doesn't have the same amount of experience or the same cleverness in some situations, but he did well today. In the 1st half we played some good football, we came with a purpose. Hey, we've made a good step forward, and all in all a good performance today, and it makes me proud when you work on things in training and it comes off in the game like our 3rd goal today. Nice." 
PPCFC line-up: Seiha, Da, Dani, Lika, Srin, Thierry, Boris (Sothy 70), Hasan (Seyha 70), Makara (Morslim 88), Pheng. Subs not used: Ary, Chamrouen, Dara, Kano, Pisa, Phearun. Bookings: Hasan, Makara. MOTM: Makara.

Sos Suhana helps skipper Hong Pheng with his armband

A proud moment for Hong Pheng, as Crown skipper today

Two-goal Leng Makara gets after-match attention from the press

Teamwork by Boris and Dani to aid injured keeper Seiha

Kirivong weren't in the game from the very start

Penalty hell

PPCFC Line-up. Back Row LtoR: Pheng, Srin, Seyha, Ary, Boris, Thierry. Front: Dani, Da, Suhana, Makara, Borey - click to enlarge

Phnom Penh Crown crashed out of the Hun Sen Cup at the semi-final stage this afternoon, going down 4-1 on penalty-kicks to the Army after extra-time had finished all-square at 1-1. It was their first defeat in seven matches. Crown head coach Sam Schweingruber changed a winning line-up for the tie with Kok Boris replacing Vi Lika in central defense, Men Seyha getting the left-back slot and Kouch Dani moving into midfield. In goal, Samrith Seiha failed a late fitness test and Yok Ary stepped in between the sticks. Khim Borey took the first pot at goal when his 20-yard effort found Sou Yaty at full stretch in the third minute. Army skipper Khek Khemarin had a far post header blocked before Leng Makara moved onto Sos Suhana's pass only to fire straight down the throat of Yaty. Two long-range free-kicks by Bin Thierry and Kouch Dani sailed over the top before Army's Ke Vannak missed his header by a whisker at the far post. With five minutes of the first-half remaining, Khim Borey broke the deadlock with his sixth cup goal of the campaign. Quick-fire passing and one-two's between Hong Pheng and Dani, then Pheng and Suhana gave the persistent Pheng the space to plant a pin-point center onto Borey's head and he gave Yaty no chance from six yards out as he flung himself at the ball. It was easily the best move of the whole game. Three minutes later Borey was stretchered off with a thigh injury and Crown played three minutes of injury time with ten-men as the medical team assessed the seriousness of the injury. In too much pain, Borey was forced to quit and Ouk Sothy started the second-half in his place.

With Suhana pushed into the central striking role, he found room to move onto a Dani pass seven minutes in, but Yaty was equal to his fizzing drive, turning it around the foot of the post. Boris headed the resulting corner wide of the mark. Though Crown were pressing, it was Army who snatched an equaliser on the hour mark from two dangerous corners. The first saw Yok Ary tip Pom Tola's inswinger over the bar but Chhin Chhoeun's follow-up corner ping-ponged around the six-yard box as Ary and his defence failed to clear, before Ke Vannak claimed the final touch amongst a forest of legs. Three minutes later and Hong Pheng's pace took him past two defenders but as Yaty left his line, Pheng guided his final touch the wrong side of the upright and a fabulous opportunity was lost. That was it as far as goalscoring chances though Va Buthtrour's hit and hope from 35-yards nearly caught Ary napping, the keeper just getting his finger-tips to it, in time added on. Extra-time came and went with Suhana going down under a challenge from Yaty but referee Tuy Vichheka looked the other way. With both teams visibly tiring, Ary missed a Chhoeun center that bounced across the face of goal before Dani cleared and two minutes into time added on at the end of extra time, Pheng rose above the crowd to meet Sothy's corner with a powerful header but watched in agony as it sailed over the cross-bar. Referee Vichheka blew and penalty-kicks would decide the finalist. A minute before the end, Schweingruber replaced a limping Ary with the injured Seiha with penalties firmly in mind. However, though Seiha blocked Thong Udom's opening kick, the ball spun agonisingly inside the post, much to Seiha's disgust. Kok Boris was delayed by an argument with officials over shin-pads and then lifted his spot-kick over the top. Ung Dara sent Seiha the wrong way, whilst Yaty dived full length to his left to keep out Suhana's effort. Vannak made no mistake and neither did Thierry, launching his kick into the top corner. Op Kamol needed to convert his penalty to give Army a 4-1 lead and he did exactly that, to send the military team through to the 16 Feb final and to leave Crown in a third-place play-off next Thursday.

Crown coach Schweingruber was not pleased with the outcome. "We played slightly better than the other team but there wasn't enough quality overall to win the game. On 120 minutes we had a free header from a corner and if on target it would've been a goal and we could've nicked it in the final seconds. We looked a bit short up front when Borey was out, but I'm very disappointed about the goal we conceded. We gave away a stupid free-kick and a corner. The amount of dangerous free-kicks and corners we give away and the immaturity in how we deal with these balls, I'm surprised we don't lose every game. Penalty kicks are all about confidence. I thought having Seiha fresh and very confident could bring us the advantage but everything went against us. The first penalty Seiha stops it with his leg but it still rolls in, very unlucky. Then Boris lost concentration in an argument with the referee over whether he wears shin protection or not for the penalty. It shouldn't have happened and that has probably cost us."
PPCFC v Army: Ary (Seiha 121), Da, Seyha (Hasan 101), Boris, Srin, Thierry, Dani, Pheng, Makara, Suhana, Borey (Sothy 46). Subs not used: Chamrouen, Dara, Lika, Pisa, Kano, Morslim. Bookings: Thierry. MOTM: Boris.

The Army starting line-up for today's game

Khim Borey receives treatment for a hamstring injury

Half-time pep talk from coach Sam Schweingruber

The PPCFC coach facing the TV cameras after the match

Cup memories

Crown's open-air changing room at the Army Stadium, where facilities leave a lot to be desired

Additional views from yesterday's 2nd cup success in 48 hours for Phnom Penh Crown. This time, a 1-0 win over Boeung Ket sent Crown through to the semi-finals of the Hun Sen Cup, where they will meet the Army on 8 Feb. Head coach Sam Schweingruber had this to say at the final whistle. "The whole team worked extremely hard today, we were well disciplined and we never, for the whole game, looked like we'd concede, restricting them to just a couple of chances... If we keep a clean sheet, hit them on the break, we are a very dangerous team. We have to aim for the title now, there are 4 teams left and we've beaten two of the strongest teams. I said at the team talk today, after beating the holders, our goal should be to win it; two more games, of course things have to go your way, get a bit of luck and obviously work hard, and the game versus Army will not be easy, but definitely a good chance to go on."

Crown skipper Khim Borey in discussion with the match referee Thong Chankethya

Samrith Seiha (1) focuses on the match ahead

Crown enter the field of play

The PPCFC team just before the handshakes

All smiles before the match begins

The two captains, who know each other very well as they are national team colleagues

Half-time instructions from coach Sam Schweingruber

Skipper Khim Borey nursing a sore ankle after the game

Coach Schweingruber interviewed by CNC's Sok Pheary

Marching on

A satisfied PPCFC skipper Khim Borey at the end of today's epic cup tie

The PPCFC starting XI. Back Row, LtoR: Boris, Pheng, Seiha, Thierry, Srin, Lika. Front: Dani, Da, Suhana, Makara, Borey

Two cup wins in 48 hours and two major scalps for the victorious Phnom Penh Crown team. Progress in this season's Hun Sen Cup competition has pitted them against the cup holders Preah Khan Reach and the league champions Boeung Ket. And on both occasions, Crown have come out on top. Quite an achievement for young coach Sam Schweingruber and his even younger set of players. But they haven't won anything yet and now face the Army in the semi-final at the Olympic Stadium on Friday 8 Feb, KO 2pm. Now back to this afternoon's match. Boeung Ket were talking up their chances and played the bullshit card over an injury to their skipper Keo Sokngon. One minute he was out for a month, the next he was wearing the captain's armband. You can't believe a word they say. Crown didn't fall for it and with an unchanged starting line-up from their 4-3 success over PKR 48 hours earlier, Schweingruber's men were determined to do well. The first foray into Boeung Ket territory saw Khim Borey race away on the left and his near post cross was inches away from Leng Makara as the Rubbermen's keeper Peng Bunchhay came out bravely. The 13th minute was unlucky for Sos Suhana as he skated free, racing onto Borey's intelligent pass, rounding Bunchhay as he left his area but found the angle too wide and the recovering Thul Sothearith blocked his shot. Boeung Ket's Sokngon saw his 20-yard effort pounced on by Samrith Seiha in the Crown goal and soon after, the Rubbermen's skipper failed to get a decisive touch to Chan Vathanaka's low cross. With Crown down to ten-men with Kok Boris receiving attention for a gashed knee, Vathanaka escaped his marker but sent his first-time touch well over the bar. Then five minutes before the half-time interval, Crown took the lead. A wayward clearance was headed on by Boris to Sos Suhana, who left three defenders on the floor in the penalty box and powered his dipping shot over Bunchhay's head and into the far corner with a piece of individual magic. Vathanaka went close with two minutes of the half remaining, when Seiha missed his punch but Thourng Da was on hand to turn the effort from Boeung Ket's leading scorer away for a corner.

Borey opened the second half with a powerful but wayward 35-yard effort on goal. Five minutes in and Keo Sokpheng's looping header was finger-tipped over the cross-bar by a back-pedalling Seiha. Borey continued to harass the Boeung Ket back-line and his half-volley sailed wide before Khiev Vibol's last-ditch tackle saved the day as the Crown skipper weaved his way into the area. Next it was Suhana who powered his way past two defenders before a reckless tackle by Sothearith was fortunate to only get a yellow card from match referee Thong Chankethya. Seiha was alive to Vibol's long-range grass-cutter though Yob Romaton will feel he should've done better when Keo Sokpheng's cross eluded everyone. In the dying minutes, Touch Pancharong escaped a second yellow for a clatter into the back of Borey but with thirty seconds of normal time to go, he kicked Makara and even Chankethya had no option but to flash a yellow, quickly followed by a red card. The referee, of course, added on an extra five minutes and in the fourth of them Savy Setsoudy poked the ball past Seiha only to turn and see the linesman's flag raised for offside. It was the last action of a hard-fought quarter-final, bereft of many real clear-cut chances but a fascinating battle amongst two of the capital's heavyweights and won by the resurgent Crown.
PPCFC line-up: Seiha, Da, Dani, Lika, Srin, Boris, Thierry (Seyha 94), Suhana (Sothy 86), Pheng (Hasan 73), Makara, Borey. Subs not used: Ary, Chamrouen, Kano, Dara, Morslim, Pisa. Bookings: Pheng, Boris. MOTM: Srin.

The Rubbermen. Back Row: Bunchhay. Vathanaka, Romaton, Ravy, Sothearith, Sokngon. Front: Rithy, Sokpheng, Kumpheak, Pancharong, Vibol

A view from pitchside

Khim Borey (7) leads out PPCFC

Pictures from Phnom Penh Crown's 4-3 Hun Sen Cup success against old foes Preah Khan Reach, played at Olympic Stadium yesterday afternoon.

Captains Khim Borey and Tum Saray (red) shake hands

Physio Lidwina Niewold tends to Samrith Seiha's injured neck and shoulder

Coach Sam Schweingruber getting across his half-time instructions

Time to face the press for Sam Schweingruber, the PPCFC coach

The Preah Khan Reach starting line-up was at full strength

Crown surge on

PPCFC v PKR. Back Row LtoR: Pheng, Da, Boris, Srin, Thierry, Lika. Front: Dani, Suhana, Seiha, Makara, Borey - click to enlarge

The Phnom Penh Crown senior team repeated what the Academy team had managed two days before and put Preah Khan Reach to the sword in this afternoon's Hun Sen Cup Group D decider, winning 4-3, though they'd led 4-0 with twenty minutes left on the clock and had to calm their own nerves before being able to celebrate progress to the quarter-finals. Crown began the game slowly and allowed PKR too much room to operate. On 19 minutes a Prak Mony Udom free-kick found the head of Khuon Laboravy but Samrith Seiha in the Crown goal pulled out a superb one-handed stop on the line to keep his goal intact. A few minutes later the Crown stopper came off second best in a collision with Laboravy and received six minutes of treatment on a neck and shoulder injury from physio Lidwina Niewold, whose entry onto the field of play drew applause from the sizeable Olympic crowd. With Crown starting to exploit PKR's flanks, a defence-splitting Kok Boris pass sent Sos Suhana scampering away and though Sar Sophea saved his low drive, skipper Khim Borey was on hand to slot the rebound home to give Crown a 35th minute lead. Six minutes later and Crown caught PKR cold again. Another Boris pass released Hong Pheng who skated past his marker, won a tackle with the onrushing Sophea and kept his cool to lob in an expertly-taken second goal for Crown from the left-hand edge of the penalty area. Laboravy sent another header skidding past the foot of the far post before Crown saw out the six minutes of additional time with ten-men after Boris left the field with a gashed knee.

PKR made two changes at half-time, whilst Crown replaced keeper Seiha with Yok Ary in the second minute after the restart as a precaution. Crown quickly picked up where they'd left off, catching the PKR defence in disarray time and again. Leng Makara sent a drive against the cross-bar before Borey was again on target for a second time, six minutes into the half. Bin Thierry fed Suhana, whose shot hit Thierry's legs and fell kindly into the path of Borey who made no mistake from eight yards. It was the skipper's 7th goal of the season. On 58 minutes, Thierry released Borey wide on the left and his inch-perfect square pass allowed Suhana to slot in Crown's fourth with ease. A textbook counter-attack goal. Chances continued to pile up for a rampant Crown though their finishing quality failed to match their build-up play. Suhana was played in by Makara but dragged his shot across the face of goal. Borey raced onto an arrowed Ary drop-kick but whacked his drive over the top. Less than a minute later, Borey set up Suhana and with time on his side, he lobbed the keeper but also cleared the cross-bar, when it seemed a goal was a certainty.

Referee Tuy Vichheka offered PKR a lifeline with twenty minutes remaining. He deemed Ary spent too long holding onto the ball and Udom's indirect free-kick sailed into the corner from sixteen yards out. Suhana again fluffed his lines when set up by Borey, firing against the post and then thumping the rebound high and wide. The same player did it again moments later, with Borey again the provider. He made it a hat-trick of failures in the space of ten minutes when Ouk Sothy put him in but he aimed straight at Sophea. With five minutes to go, Sothy's acrobatic attempt to clear saw the ball strike his hand and Vichheka gleefully pointed to the spot. Udom slotted in the penalty kick to spark PKR's interest. A minute from time, Sok Chanraksmey's right-wing cross eluded Ary's flailing punch and Laboravy tucked the ball home at the far post to add even more jitters to the Crown back-line. With the final kick of the game, Sothy stole into the PKR box but finished weakly as Crown celebrated a win over the reigning cup holders that had looked a done deal until the closing stages.

Crown head coach Sam Schweingruber's comments reflected that; "I'm disappointed with how we were not able to keep possession, we had hardly any spells of keeping the ball, so we had to work hard without the ball. A lot of positives to take out of the game but then obviously disappointed with the final result, the 3 goals we conceded and missing the chance to be first in the pool." Crown meet in-form Boeung Ket in Thursday's Quarter-Finals at the Army Stadium (KO 2pm) with the coach declaring; "Our real challenge is waiting for us on Thursday, with only a day to prepare, which is to our disadvantage with our squad short on experience and as Boeung Ket played their 2nd string today. They will be fresher. Boeung Ket go into the game as clear favourites. But nothing is impossible, so we will try to make it happen." AEU finished top of Group D with a 7-1 win over Porsenchey, leaving PKR forlorn in third place and unable to defend their position as cup winners for the past two seasons.
PPCFC v PKR: Seiha (Ary 47), Da, Dani, Lika, Srin, Boris (Sothy 56), Thierry (Pisa 69), Suhana, Makara, Pheng, Borey. Subs not used: Seyha, Kano, Dara, Hasan, Morslim, Kano. Bookings: None. MOTM: Borey

Crown held by AEU

Crown v AEU. Back LtoR: Srin, Thierry, Seiha, Pheng, Rady, Boris. Front: Sothy, Dani, Suhana, Da, Borey - click to enlarge

With a full strength team, Phnom Penh Crown began their second Hun Sen Cup Group D game, with Asia Euro University at Olympic Stadium, slowly and AEU's Moun Nara missed his kick in front of goal that would've given the students a 9th minute lead. A knee injury to Pheak Rady left Crown depleted in defence and Nara made no mistake a second time, weaving his way past Thourng Da and into the box, before rolling his measured shot wide of Samrith Seiha in the 17th minute. Crown responded with Sos Suhana shooting low into the hands of AEU keeper Um Sereyrath. With Crown pressing for the leveller, a Khim Borey shot was fumbled by Sereyrath, who gathered at the 2nd attempt as Suhana closed in. Bin Thierry was next to test the keeper with a 25-yard effort and then Suhana rolled an inviting ball across the face of the AEU goal but no-one was on hand to capitalise. Just after the half hour, Kouch Dani's left-wing cross was bundled in by Borey, only for the referee to wipe out the goal for a foul on the AEU keeper. With two minutes of the first-half remaining, Thierry curled a 25-yard free-kick over the wall which Sereyrath failed to collect cleanly and Borey tucked in the rebound for the equaliser.

Crown went gunning for a second goal immediately after the restart. Thierry volleyed a half chance over the top and Hong Pheng fired a a low drive into the keeper's hands from the edge of the box. AEU offered a brief spell of resistance with Suey Visal heading wide from a free-kick and Serey Matnorothin sending his drive wide after Vi Lika lost possession. Pheng broke menacingly into the box but blasted his drive high and wide, while Borey's shot on the turn was pushed around the post by a diving Sereyrath. With Dani providing width on the left with his constant overlaps, Borey touched one of his crosses into the path of Ouk Sothy, but his effort lacked power to trouble Sereyrath. As time ebbed away, Suhana volleyed well wide of the target with two minutes left on the clock. In the third minute of time added on, Thorn Darapich broke through two tackles and let fly from 20 yards, which brought out a flying save from Crown keeper Seiha, as well as the referee's final whistle.

Honours even but Crown head coach Sam Schweingruber was far from happy. "We started off extremely nervous and we were too slow to organise from the injury to Rady and that mistake cost us the goal. We made too many mistakes, too many of our players lost the ball or slowed the game down, and we struggled to keep simple possession. We had a few exciting situations where we played the football I want to see but most of the game was frustrating, especially with giving possession away too easily. A draw was a fair result, we were more often in their face but we didn't create enough, we were indecisive in front of goal, we gave away too much ball and if we defend like this, we will be made to pay for it." The draw leaves the Group D finely balanced with Preah Khan beating Porsenchey 4-0. Crown need a draw from their final group match with PKR on 24 Jan to progress to the next round.
PPCFC v AEU: Seiha, Da, Dani, Srin, Rady (Lika 18), Sothy, Boris (Hasan 60), Thierry, Suhana, Pheng (Makara 77), Borey. Subs not used: Ary, Chamrouen, Dara, Seyha, Morslim, Kano, Phearun, Pisa. Bookings: Thierry, Lika. MOTM: Dani.

Khim Borey leads out the Crown team followed by Samrith Seiha and Sos Suhana

Khim Borey shaking hands with AEU skipper Sun Sovanratha

Feeling the cold - ice baths after the game for Thourng Da and Bin Thierry (right)

The AEU line-up that beat PKR 3-1 and Drew -1 with PPCFC

Cup action begins with a win

PPCFC line-up: Back LtoR: Seyha, Srin, Pheng, Seiha, Rady, Hasan. Front: Sothy, Suhana, Da, Makara, Borey

The Hun Sen Cup final sixteen group competition kicked-off for Phnom Penh Crown this afternoon at the Army Stadium. A comfortable 5-0 win over local team Porsenchey was the outcome, in their Group D clash, with the result never in doubt once Crown converted their superiority into goals. Coach Sam Schweingruber left his three French imports on the bench for the opening game of the season, giving the captain's armband to his main striker Khim Borey. And it was the Crown skipper who was in the thick of most of the action in the early stages. After just a minute his chip set up Leng Makara but he blasted over the crossbar. On 21 minutes, Borey's flick gave Sos Suhana a chance but it was quickly snuffed out by the keeper. From the corner, Makara headed over the top. Just after the half-hour mark, Borey chested the ball into Suhana's path, but his daisy-cutter shot was palmed away. Borey then tried his luck from 30-yards but didn't have enough power to outwit the keeper. With four minutes of the first half to go, Porsenchey's only real opening came their way after Ngoy Srin dwelt too long on the ball, but he made amends with a good block in the six-yard box to snuff out the danger. At the other end, Ouk Sothy's pass to Hong Pheng saw the striker cut inside and his drive was pushed aside for a corner. With 42 minutes on the clock, Crown grabbed the lead when Makara laid the ball into the path of Mart Hasan and his first-time shot went under the dive of keeper Kul Samnang and nestled in the far corner. A crucial time to score just before the interval.

Crown stepped up their possession and offensive play after the break and made Porsenchey suffer in the afternoon sun. Hong Pheng doubled the lead six minutes into the 2nd half. A foul on Hasan gave Borey the chance to swing in a 25-yard free kick to the near post and Pheng was on hand to divert the ball into the net with his outstretched foot. Three minutes later and Hok Sotitya headed over from close in with Porsenchey's only chance of the second period after Samrith Seiha had fluffed his clearance. Hasan was looking for his second goal, sending a 25-yard effort just over. On 65 minutes, his efforts were rewarded as Sothy poked Borey into space, his rolled cross was missed by Pheng in front of goal but Hasan followed up for an easy tap-in. Borey, the Crown skipper, continued his quest for a goal, sending two drives from outside the box wide of the target. Suhana blazed over the top from six yards out with the miss of the match before Borey finally grabbed his deserved goal on 77 minutes. Crown's two French-Khmer substitutes, Kouch Dani and Kok Boris, introduced six minutes earlier, worked a neat one-two that gave Borey all the time he required to smash his effort home from eight yards out. Easily the best goal of the game. Two minutes later and the national team striker was celebrating again. His delicate pass sent Pheng in on goal and though his shot was blocked by Samnang, Borey followed up and was on hand to fire the loose ball into the roof of the net. There was still time for a Borey curler to be palmed away by Samnang but the game was over and Crown earned themselves a comfortable opening day success.

Coach Schweingruber gave this assessment at the final whistle. "We controlled the first twenty minutes but then our midfield possession and pressing wasn't good enough and we didn't look in control as we did in the opening stages. We got an important goal right before half-time. In the second-half we were physically much stronger, able to completely dominate and take them apart, so a good first win, happy with a lot of things, and lots of things we need to improve."
PPCFC line-up v Porsenchey: Seiha, Da, Seyha, Rady, Srin, Sothy, Hasan (Boris 71), Suhana, Makara (Dani 71), Pheng (Pisa 82), Borey. Subs not used: Ary, Chamrouen, Dara, Lika, Phearun, Morslim, Thierry. Bookings: None.

Half-time rest and team-talk

Crown lining up before the game

The two captains shake hands

The Porsenchey starting line-up

All change, again

The fall-out from the football federation's late decision to enter the AFC Challenge Cup afterall - they initially said they were pulling out to concentrate on grassroots football and because they didn't have the money - is just about to be felt in domestic football circles. The appointment of Prak Sovannara as the head coach and his notice that fifty players were in line for what are effectively national team trials, have prompted the federation to muck about with the start of the Metfone C-League season. It was due to begin on 1 January with Phnom Penh Crown facing BBU, but that's been canned by the FFC and they've announced that it will not start until 12 January and after that, only at the weekends until the AFC Challenge Cup competition has been completed. In the next ten days the trials will take place and Sovannara will reduce his squad to a final thirty by the end of the year, when the national team will get together for a squad training session for four days. These squad sessions will then happen three days a week; Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Players will be released to train/play with their club teams on Wednesday and Thursday (the day set aside for Hun Sen Cup matches, which will continue unaffected) and at weekends (C-League matches). In effect, depriving the clubs of their best players for a substantial part of the next two months and giving club coaches a real headache in terms of suitable preparation and tactics before league and cup matches. And that's if the players return from national duty without injury. There was no consultation with the clubs as far as I know. It's simply a done deal. For Phnom Penh Crown, it will mean re-scheduling four C-League matches against BBU, National Police, Preah Khan and AEU.

Other news to come out today concerns the Cambodia national team. The plan is to play a friendly, maybe two, against the visiting Ulsan University team in the first week of January. All squad training sessions will be at either the Olympic Stadium or Crown's RSN Stadium, on the days I've listed above, until the squad enter a training camp from 17-24 Feb, either at Tonle Bati or abroad, playing a series of four or five practice matches. They will have another friendly on 25 Feb in Phnom Penh before departing for the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying group in Philippines on 27 Feb. They will then meet Turkmenistan on 2 Mar, Philippines on 4 Mar and Brunei on 6 Mar, hoping to gain one of the qualification places.

More from the Senate

Bird's-eye view of pre-match instructions

Phnom Penh Crown's latest pre-season practice match was a 4-2 win over the new faces in the C-League this season, Senate Secretariat, played yesterday afternoon. Here are some photos. The Hun Sen Cup qualifying regional matches begin tomorrow and will be played in six locations until 11 December. Group games will be played in Kampot, Siem Reap, Svay Rieng, Battambang, Ratanakiri and at Cheng Meng, just outside Phnom Penh. Crown join the competition in the group stages to be held in Phnom Penh between 20 Dec-24 Jan. They will play against two qualifying teams on 27 Dec and 10 Jan before their final group match against Preah Khan Reach on 24 Jan.

Bouy Dary with his Crown team before the game begins

Happy slappy time for the Crown squad

Bin Thierry flicks the ball over the keeper for his 1st Crown goal

This volley from Bin Thierry was pushed onto the post by the Senate keeper