5-match ban

The tackle in question as both players play the ball simultaneously. Srin is in red.

Have I been living under a stone? I assumed that Ngoy Srin's red card that he received whilst playing for Phnom Penh Crown against Boeung Ket at the beginning of April was the reason he'd missed the last two matches. No, I was wrong. The Crown defender was actually handed a 5-match ban following that game. He received a 1-game ban for the red card, 1-game for clocking up two yellow cards and then a 3-game suspension for insulting behaviour to an opponent. Are the Federation completely bonkers or what? Video evidence clearly shows that Srin's tackle on Chan Vathanaka was fair, both players played the ball simultaneously. The problem stems from Vathanaka rolling on the ground, screaming his usual high-pitched squeal, conning officials as to the severity of the injury. It's something he's been developing over the past couple of seasons and is now quite good at it. Though in this match, the fact was helped by the referee being Yean Kivatana, who has no idea what takes place on the pitch at any time, hence the flashing of a yellow card. In any football match on the planet, the defender would say something to the striker rolling around on the ground, following a fair tackle. It's what happens in the heat of the the moment. Srin probably something along the lines of, "get up, you big girl's blouse," or a variation on that theme. The referee in this case saw an opportunity to make his presence felt, by whipping out his red card and Srin was dismissed for what the official viewed as insulting words. Get a life referee, you cannot be serious by compounding your original error with such a wank action. Your incompetence, combined with Vathanaka's pathetic squealing has caused Srin to miss 5 matches, that his team can ill afford. It beggar's belief.

Photographer Sovanna Kem captures the moment referee Yean Kivatana flashes his yellow card to Ngoy Srin

He does it again

Match official Yean Kivatana

I know its not ideal to blast the match officials when you've just been defeated by the league leaders but this is an occasion where it's fully deserved. They were abysmal. Referee Yean Kivatana (also called Kivatanak or Kywadhana) has never been my favourite official since he began in the middle in 2009. He has a penchant for brandishing red and yellow cards where none are required and clearly has no idea about how the game is played. I've said it many times before and nothing changes. He gets the biggest game of the season and because of his ineptitude, by the 25th minute he's ruined the match as a evenly-matched spectacle. He's been running the line for quite a few games over the past two seasons in what appeared a demotion from the middle, but he was back there yesterday, doing what he does best, spoiling what could've been a great game. In the 25th minute his eyes told him that Ngoy Srin's foot was high in tackling Chan Vathanaka, though it was more likely based on the latter's high-pitched squeal and rolling around as if he'd been shot by a sniper in the crowd. Video and photographic evidence clearly shows that both players played the ball at the same time. The referee was wrong. He brought out his yellow card with a flourish, and shoved it towards Srin, as he likes to do and then quickly held his red card as high as he could, allegedly because Srin said something insulting to Vathanaka. Probably something along the lines of, "get up, you big girl's blouse." Kivatana simply compounding his original error. Phnom Penh Crown were reduced to 10-men against the league leaders who'd won six out of six coming into the match. Blow me down, just over ten minutes later, Yob Romaton and Odion Obadin collide in the penalty box and Kivatana couldn't wait to point to the spot for a penalty kick. Obadin was distraught. Those who have seen Kivatana in action before, were not surprised at all. Boeung Ket were two goals to the good, helped in no small measure by the match referee. Other decisions that beggared belief were a booking for Bin Thierry just after the break, where video evidence clearly shows that no contact was made with an opponent. And on two occasions, Kivatana's assistant flagged for offside when the video again shows that both calls were shockingly bad and totally inept. The referee refused to speak to the Crown coach at the end of the match, brushing off his questions and then blew a kiss to the crowd as he left the field. Nice performance ref.

Sabay.com's Kem Sovanna captures the ridiculous yellow card for Ngoy Srin