U-17s go down fighting

PPCFC U-17 v Svay Rieng: Back Row LtoR; Sovan, Chanvuthy, Baraing, Chanpolin, Sakrovy, Titchhy. Front Row: Sodavid (capt), Nuron, Muslim, Noeut, Ponvuthy - click to enlarge

Over the past year, Phnom Penh Crown Academy matches against Svay Rieng at youth level have been close affairs. In recent games the ex-Preah Khan Reach youths have fared better, winning the CFDL title a few months ago and securing another victory again this afternoon. But the 2-1 scoreline fails to tell the full story behind this Cambodia U-17 Youth League game. Played on the poor Dept of Sport and PE pitch in Tuol Kork, the first-half was pretty much even steven. In Sodavid and Mat Nuron had chances but there was little of note until an off-the-ball incident before a corner, left Crown keeper Kung Chanvuthy lying on the floor clutching his face. An elbow from a Svay Rieng defender was the reason but the match referee was weak in his response and only flashed a yellow card after consulting with his linesman. His failure to take strong action would impact on the rest of the game. Just 28 seconds after the half-time break, Nuron got a touch to Seut Baraing's center only for Sim Mesa to block at point blank range. Mesa played with Crown's U-15 Asean side last season and had just joined Svay Rieng from Boeung Ket. Four minutes into the second half and Svay Rieng took the lead as the linesman's flag stayed down, despite loud calls for offside by the Crown defenders. A second blow came on fourteen minutes as a route one free-kick was back-headed on and the ball looped over Chanvuthy and into the net for Svay Rieng's second. The goal stung Crown into action and Mesa just managed to scoop Orn Chanpolin's long range effort around the post. Mesa was again in the thick of it as he saved from Men Piphop after Sraing Titchhy's poke had been cleared off the line. Chanpolin sent another 25-yarder goalwards, only for Mesa to react late and deny him as Crown continued to press. With 12 minutes left on the clock, Titchhy got his head to Baraing's free-kick to find the net at last for Crown, but despite camping in the Svay Rieng half, they couldn't find the elusive equaliser. As tempers rose to boiling point, mainly as a result of weak officiating, Long Phearath received a kick in the face and players had to be separated when a Svay Rieng player reacted to a foul by threatening to punch Kim Chhaya in the face. With a flurry of substitutions, a multitude of stoppages for mystery injuries suffered by Svay Rieng's players and general time wasting, time added on should've been around 8 minutes but the match referee decided on just two and called time with Svay Rieng recording a 2-1 success. I have never seen Crown's Academy players complain to match officials, it's not in their nature, but they did just that today out of utter frustration. All to no avail. To be frank the officials were simply not up to the job. The two teams are the best youth sides in the country and the game was more than the young match officials could handle. It stood out like a sore thumb.
PPCFC U-17s v Svay Rieng: Chanvuthy, Noeut, Baraing, Sovann, Titchhy, Chanpolin, Sodavid, Nuron (K Chhaya), Ponvuthy (Chansopheak), Sakrovy (Piphop), Muslim (Phearath). Subs not used: Chanchav, V Samnang, T Chhaya. Bookings: None. MOTM: Chanpolin. Goal: Titchhy (78).

The PPCFC U-17s bench before the game began

Captain In Sodavid (23) watches the referee tossing up

Svay Rieng U-17s before kick-off

Dominant opener

PPCFC U-17s. Back Row LtoR: Sovann, Titchhy, Sodavid, Soksela, Sakrovy, Chanpolin (capt). Front Row: Ponvuthy, Nuron, Muslim, Chansopheak, Phearath - click to enlarge

The Phnom Penh Crown U-17s got their first taste of the new Cambodian U-17 Youth League this afternoon at Olympic Stadium. They looked a little rusty to begin with but went onto thrash the SSCA U-17s 5-0 but in reality the scoreline should've been much higher, the game was very one-sided. With the match switched to the Olympic Stadium as the RSN pitch was too wet, Crown dominated from the start, using their passing game to outwit the Civil Aviation team though they had to wait 27 minutes for their first goal. Before that a few chances were spurned including one by Mat Sakrovy, who broke free but lobbed the ball over the bar when well-placed. Pov Ponvuthy broke the deadlock when he finished off a sweet short corner move from In Sodavid and Ken Chansopheak that completely outfoxed the SSCA defence. Crown continued to create and miss chances until Sakrovy sped past the last defender, latched onto an Orn Chanpolin pass, kept his head and rolled his shot inside the far post with 33 minutes on the clock. Two minutes later, SSCA were well and truly beaten as Mat Nuron's bye-line cross was swept in by Yeu Muslim at the near post for Crown's third. Nuron himself missed a gilt-edged chance just before the half-time interval.

SSCA did better at the beginning of the second-half to restrict Crown but Ponvuthy should've done better when sent clear by Muslim, only to steer his shot wide of the target. With half an hour of the second half gone, Crown extended their lead as Suon Noeut used his pace to race into the box and Nuron poked in the loose ball as the goalkeeper failed to cut out the cross. Soon after Noeut blasted over when scoring seemed an easier option. With nine minutes to go, skipper Chanpolin was upended in the penalty box and Sraing Titchhy guided the spot-kick into the corner of the net for his team's fifth. Crown's superior fitness was another factor in their dominance but they were left speechless by the referee's last minute decision to dismiss substitute Vat Samnang. An innocuous challenge in midfield by Samnang and an opponent left them both on the floor but the referee deemed Samnang had done something seriously wrong in his opinion and was shown a straight red card. No-one could quite believe their eyes as the youngster left the field. It was a shockingly inept decision by a match official who had been fifteen minutes late in starting the game, for reasons known only to him. A sour note in an otherwise good display by Crown's U-17s. Their next game is next Sunday against Western University at RSN Stadium.
PPCFC U-17s: Soksela, Chansopheak, Phearath (K Chhaya 65), Sovann, Titchhy, Chanpolin, Sodavid, Sakrovy (Piphop 65), Ponvuthy (Noeut 74), Nuron (V Samnang 84), Muslim (Rozak 86). Subs not used: Chanvuthy, Baraing, Chanchav. Bookings: Phearath, V Samnang (red card). MOTM: Chanpolin. Goals: Ponvuthy (27), Sakrovy (33), Muslim (35), Nuron (76), Titchhy pen (81).

Captain Orn Chanpolin (8) leads out the PPCFC U-17s at Olympic Stadium - click to enlarge

U-17 Youth League fixtures

The fixtures for Phnom Penh Crown's U-17s in the new Cambodia U-17 Youth League are below. There will be just 5 teams in the competition and they will meet each other twice before the Top 4 enter the play-offs in late December. All U-17 matches will be played at PPCFC's RSN Stadium in Tuol Kork.
PPCFC U-17 Fixtures:
13 Oct v SSCA - 2pm
20 Oct v Western U - 2pm
27 Oct v Army Youth Hope - 4pm
3 Nov v Svay Rieng - 4pm
1 Dec v SSCA - 2pm
4 Dec (Wed) v Western U - 2pm
8 Dec v Army Youth Hope - 4pm
15 Dec v Svay Rieng - 4pm
Play-offs on 22 and 28 Dec at RSN. Final on 29 Dec at Cheng Meng.