Top save

The most outstanding goalkeeping save of the weekend's football must go to Mak Theara (pictured above), the AEU keeper, playing against Phnom Penh Crown. At the start of the 2nd half a cross was met by Leng Makara six yards out and his header look destined for the net, until Theara produced a 'Gordon Banks' moment to miraculously scoop the ball over the bar. Banks was voted the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century and his save from Pele in the 1970 World Cup was described as the greatest save in the history of the game. Theara's save from Makara wasn't far behind.
It was in 2010 when Theara was playing for NagaCorp that he perfected his scorpion-kick, where he would bring his feet behind his head and plant them in the chest of the attacker, a remarkably agile move by the keeper, but also incredibly dangerous for the forward on the receiving end. Back then the referees allowed him to get away with it. We'll have to wait and see if he tries to replicate that move this season.

Danger man

Mak Theara of league leaders Naga Corp - a dangerous opponent

He did it again. Naga's 19 year old goalkeeper Mak Theara is a dangerous man in my book. He has a very nasty habit of collecting the ball with the intention of hurting an opponent, or he would say, protecting myself against an attacker. In the 2nd minute of yesterday's game, he came out feet first to catch the ball on the edge of his penalty area and caught Kirivon's Ouk Thun in the neck! The match referee Thong Chankethya deemed it a perfectly acceptable challenge. I do not. If it happened in a public street it would be classed as physical assault. It's not the first time that Mak Theara's challenges have left my blood boiling. One day soon he will seriously injure an opponent if he's not stopped. The next time I see his coach Prak Sovannara, I will raise my concerns as I have a few. It was earlier in the season that he fly-hacked Prak Mony Udom and before that it was Theara who scorpion-kicked an opponent in the chest. Put aside that a scorpion-kick, where he brings his feet behind his head and plants them in the chest of the attacker, is a remarkably agile move by the keeper, it's also incredibly dangerous for the forward on the receiving end. However in all three instances the match referee has failed to recognise that all of the challenges were dangerous and illegal and so Theara believes he can get away with it. Protecting goalkeepers is a modern blight on the game by referees but allowing Theara to get away with what he's doing, is even worse. Okay, I'll get down off my soap-box.