Post coverage

Phnom Penh Post article - click to read

The Phnom Penh Post sometimes comes up short with its local football coverage but credit where its due with their article today on the news regarding the FAM-Frenz U-15 Asean Champions Trophy that kicks off this Saturday, when Phnom Penh Crown Academy face the PVF Academy in Saigon. The Post have encapsulated the details of the new competition perfectly.

Under pressure

I've heard from Sok Sovan today that he and Phnom Penh Crown teammate Sok Pheng are both included in the final party of 20 players selected for the Cambodian U-23 squad for the forthcoming SEA Games in Indonesia. The team travel to Jakarta on Saturday and face their first big hurdle when they meet the hosts, Indonesia, on Monday. There have been lots of financial inducements bounded about for the Cambodian participants in the SEA Games who come home with medals from NagaWorld and the Prime Minister chipping in as well, though that is very unlikely to happen with the football team. They are ranked well below most of the countries competing in this month's Games and are pretty much guaranteed to finish bottom of the 'Group of Death,' Group A, unless there's a series of minor miracles in their matches against Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It ain't gonna happen. Even the Phnom Penh Post, known for their fence-sitting, came out of their hole in the ground to heap a bit more pressure on Lee Tae-Hoon, Cambodia's national team coach, on their back page today. PPP's Indian sports writer Manju admits Lee has been less successful than the coach had hoped and had been unable to get the best out of his team. With Cambodia's series of inept results during Lee's tenure over the last 14 months, I'd call that a gross understatement. Neverthless, Manju reckons that Lee is determined to answer his critics and prove his detractors wrong. Well, this writer is all for that. Bringing home the SEA Games gold medal would be just dandy. The PPP journo also talks about the World Cup defeat in Laos and suggests that 'the controversy rumbled on in another form when armchair critics and self styled experts pounced on him with accusations of playing down the significance of World Cup qualifiers.' Bollocks. The Cambodian camp had said well before the Laos games that the SEA Games were the target and the World Cup was basically an inconvenience. You don't have to be an armchair critic or self styled expert to point out that those sort of ill-informed comments fly in the face of every football fan in the country and anyone who has an interest in the beautiful game. Success in the World Cup, however fleeting, is something to treasure and should not be derided in favour of a regional competition, in which you know you will get badly mauled anyway. I've never been a big fan of Manju's reporting style and his sneer at anyone who dares to comment on local football or the national team takes the biscuit as he and the PPP rarely climb from underneath their rock with any opinion piece worthy of the name when it comes to football. They are usually far too busy with the tennis.
The final 20-man selection should be published tomorrow. With the Group A games taking place on the following dates, I will most likely be out of internet range for all of them except the final game, so I apologise beforehand for not providing my usual service when it comes to crucial games and especially national team games. I'll be on an island in the middle of the Mekong River.
Cambodia's SEA Games schedule:
7 Nov Indonesia v Cambodia at 7pm
9 Nov Singapore v Cambodia at 7pm
11 Nov Thailand v Cambodia at 5pm
13 Nov Malaysia v Cambodia at 4pm

A review in Khmer

Phnom Penh Post - Khmer edition

Although the deal is now done and Lee Tae-Hoon has already been given a new 1-year contract as the head coach of the Cambodian national team, the Phnom Penh Post newspaper (Khmer edition) today highlights some of the fans' views (including my own) regarding the recent course of events, that saw the national team bundled out of the FIFA World Cup at the first attempt, losing 8-6 to Laos over the course of two legs. It's all done and dusted now, the South Korean will be at the helm of the national team and U-23 for another twelve months, but at least some fans get to vent their views, as well as a few comments from the national team spokesmen. I believe the English edition will carry it tomorrow.

Update: The Wednesday edition did indeed carry a longer analysis under the title Lee Tae Hoon comes under fire, in English. I was quoted as an established blogger on Cambodian football. Apparently my harshest assessment was reserved for the selection policy employed by the coach. They then included some of my comments from my blog postings. In another part of the article, the coach apparently told his team after the 6-2 defeat in Laos. "I am the only person who is responsible to this loss, it's not you all." Unfortunately the coach didn't follow that up by falling on his sword. The FFC spokesman, May Tola admitted; "...although it has not been great or perfect, the FFC has done everything possible to support the team considering our limited means and many tasks to implement." Except that is, arranging suitable international friendly matches, selecting the best players plying their trade in Thailand, taking a full squad to Laos for the 2nd leg and agreeing another 1 year contract for the coach. May Tola also asserted that the South Korean is a skilful coach who has a long vision to build up the national team. On allegations of match-fixing during the WC qualifiers, Tola said that the FFC had set up an adhoc committee to investigate. "We will firstly need the coach to make a report and we will watch the match again to see if our players have done their best and whether the accusation of match fixing/selling has any substance." This particular allegation, which always seems to crop up in Asian football when things go badly, is not something which I support, at all.

Away day with Crown

Crown skipper Thul Sothearith exchanges club pennants before the kick-off

This was my first match with Phnom Penh Crown in the provinces and though we won 4-0 against plucky Neak Khiev, the game being played at the provincial football stadium in Kompong Thom, I know we can do better. The starting time of 8am was a tricky one, deciding when to get up, eat and travel to the stadium (and that was just me), as I doubt many games, anywhere in the world, kick off that early in the morning. The pitch itself left a lot to be desired and the day before, Kouch Sokumpheak had strained his ankle on it, in warm-up. It wouldn't be the last ankle problem brought on by the uneven, grass-less surface either. The team changed on the steps of the main grandstand, no such luxuries as showers and well-equipped changing rooms in this location (or any for that matter) but they did benefit from the presence of Crown's medical team of club doctor Hok Sour and physio Chhin Sophorn, which is a luxury most teams cannot replicate. These are pictures taken before the kick-off to give you a flavour of the club's Hun Sen Cup journey this season.

The team huddle before the game begins, ended with a loud whoop

The Neak Khiev line-up with a couple of familiar faces from last term's Wat Phnom team

The Crown team create long shadows as they line up before the handshakes

Thul Sothearith leads out the Crown team in blue, following the match officials

Crown skipper Thul Sothearith is a study in deep concentration

Short sharp sprints for Hong Ratana (13) and Chan Dara (right)

Sun Sopanha and Hong Ratana (13) get in some pre-match heading practice

The pre-match team talk is given by Crown coach Bouy Dary

Physio Chhim Sophorn applying strapping to Kouch Sokumpheak's ankle strain, with Tieng Tiny looking on

Press talk (the final nail)

This is my final match report for the Phnom Penh Post. Sniff, sniff.

Here it is. The last of my football match reports for the Phnom Penh Post. I'm a little teary as I type this (not really). I have been ousted in order for the newspaper's sports pages to grow and develop, apparently. In reality, the sports team's budget probably couldn't afford me and have given the job to a staffer rather than a money-guzzling freelancer. Or maybe my traditional style of football coverage is no longer required. We'll have to wait and see how the future coverage shapes up. If it stinks I'll be writing a letter to the editor, which is what kicked off my initial involvement many moons ago. We could come full circle again. Click here to read online.

End of an era

My match reports in tomorrow's Phnom Penh Post from Sunday's C-League games will be the end of an era. I've been chopped from the Post's sports reporting team in a cost-cutting exercise, now that they have a new Editor and he's demanding changes. Looks like more international sport, and considerably less local coverage (or in short, sharp chunks anyway) will be the new order at the Post. Well that's how its been explained to me. It's a shame for a number of reasons. The pay was a nice earner for sure, but reporting on the local football scene and particularly the national team was and is important. Before I stuck my oar in, there was virtually nothing in the PPP at all on local professional football. Over the past year and more, the football coverage has mushroomed, and now it sounds like the people in charge have decided its time to cut back. I'll still attend the games until the end of the current season and will then reconsider the future. Covering the matches religiously for the Post every Saturday and Sunday means that my weekends have not been my own during the football season, and it would be nice to get them back.

Press talk

Today's Phnom Penh Post carries my match reports from Saturday's C-League action at the Olympic Stadium. Click here.

Press talk

Monday's PPP match reports

Tuesday's PPP match reports

I've been so occupied that I haven't yet posted the match articles from last weekend's games on my blog. My Phnom Penh Post reports were in the Monday and Tuesday editions as usual. Here are the links: here and here.

There's a juicy encounter to kick-off this weekend's C-League games when Naga meet Preah Khan in the first match on Saturday. That's followed by BBU taking on Prek Pra. Sunday's games will see Kirivong against Chhma Khmao and Phnom Penh versus Khemara.

Press talk

Saturday's C-League match reports appear in today's edition of the Phnom Penh Post. Click here.

Press talk

My match report from Wednesday's C-League top of the table clash is in today's Phnom Penh Post. The photos come from a new boy on the block, Sreng Meng Srun, who has joined the PPP staff. He even got a picture on the front page of today's edition. Nick Sells had a day off. Click here.

Press talk

Monday's edition of the PPP

Today's C-League match reports in the PPP

My weekend Metfone C-league match reports appeared in the Monday and Tuesday editions of the Phnom Penh Post. Click here and here to read more.

Press talk

My match report from the 'midweek fisticuffs' appeared on the back page of Friday's Phnom Penh Post. Click here.

Press talk

And my match reports from Sunday's C-League games appear in the Tuesday edition of the Phnom Penh Post. Click here.

Press talk

Today's back page of the Phnom Penh Post has my Metfone C-League match reports from Saturday's games. Click here.

Khmer language only

Star of the Week - Khim Borey

A couple of items in the Khmer language only Sports Today edition, which is included in the Khmer version of the Phnom Penh Post every Friday. Every week I select a Star of the Week from the previous week's football matches and it gets printed in Khmer language only. This week it was Khim Borey and the picture shows how it's presented each week, as part of a two page spotlight on the Metfone C-League. In addition, on the back page of Sports Today there was a whole page focused on recent developments regarding the departure of Scott O'Donell as coach of the Cambodia national team. It included comments from players and fans about the situation, for and against. I've only had a very rough translated summary so can't really comment on it, suffice to say that football fans will always have their views, and that's what makes football the fascinating sport that it is.

Have your say about recent developments, in Khmer language only

Press talk

The back page of today's Phnom Penh Post

Today's back page of the Phnom Penh Post carries my match reports from Sunday's Metfone C-League wins for the Army and league leaders BBU. Click here.

Borey is a shining star

I promise you that the player with his face obscured by the ball is Khim Borey, the Army's number 7 and skipper. Photo nicksellsphotography

Each week as the regular press guy from Phnom Penh Post at the majority of the Metfone C-League games, I get to pick the STAR of the Week, who then gets a write-up and photo in the Friday Khmer Sports edition. I'm always pleased when a Khmer players stands out above the rest so I was only too happy to select Khim Borey as this week's star. Not only did he score a hat-trick in the Army's demolition of Chhma Khmao, he led from the front as well as dropping back into midfield to orchestrate his team's offense. He takes his captain's responsibilities seriously despite still being just 21 years old, and a Cambodian international for what seems like eons. I reckon he must've got his first cap when he was still in nappies (actually it was in 2007, when he was playing for both the country's youth and full national teams). He was the Golden Boot winner for most goals in 2008 but has suffered a bit with injuries since, so it's great to see him getting back to fitness and top form. Likeable guy, who is quite shy off the pitch, but one of Cambodia's best on it.

By way of further evidence, here is Khim Borey (white shirt, number 7) challenging for a high ball. Photo nicksellsphotography

Last but not least, perhaps one of the most unflattering photos of me, ever, captured by happy snapper Nick Sells at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. Photo nicksellsphotography

Press talk

The back page of today's PPP

My match reports from the two Saturday C-League games are on the back page of today's Phnom Penh Post. Click here.

Press talk

Today's back page of the Phnom Penh Post is dedicated to the decision of Scott O'Donell not to seek a renewal of his contract as the coach of the Cambodian national football team. Such a shame. The story is online here.

Press talk

Today's inside back page with 3 match reports

Yesterday's PPP carried the story of Prek Pra's first victory of the season

Today's Phnom Penh Post carries three of my match reports from the weekend. Yesterday's edition carried the Prek Pra success story here.